The symphony, or instrumental prelude, is divided into three parts, opening with a majestic trombone passage which clearly anticipates the mood of the ensuing cantata. The real ‘Hymn of Praise’ is given out in the opening chorus, ‘All that has life and breath,’ based upon the motive heard in the opening measure of the prelude. The work then moves on in a majestic manner, reaching its climax with the entrance of the impressive chorus, ‘The night is departing.’ A final chorus, ‘Ye nations, offer to the Lord,’ is in fugal form and is inspiring in its massiveness. The choral motive, ‘All that has life and breath,’ is again given out _fortissimo_ and brings the work to an impressive close. The duet for two sopranos, ‘I waited for the Lord,’ is one of the most beautiful numbers in this work. IV The dazzling achievements of Liszt (1811-86) as a pianoforte virtuoso and the popularity and originality of his instrumental compositions have put his choral work in an unfortunate perspective; and they have by no means received the attention they richly merit. Two of the finest examples of oratorio of this period are from the brilliant Abbé’s pen, both written in the full maturity of his powers and with the employment of all his immense resources of dramatic and emotional expression. They are ‘Christus’ and ‘The Legend of the Holy Elizabeth.’ The latter legend, familiar to English readers through Canon Kingsley’s dramatic poem, ‘The Saint’s Tragedy,’ deals with the life of the daughter of King Andreas II of Hungary, born in 1207, who at the age of four was sent to the Wartburg to be brought up as the affianced bride of Ludwig, son of the Landgrave Hermann of Thuringia. After their marriage in 1220 wonderful tales were told of her devotion to the poor, of her pious Christian life, and, after Ludwig’s death, of the cruel hardships which the hatred of her mother-in-law brought upon her. She died in 1231 and was canonized at Marburg in 1235 by command of Pope Gregory IX. ‘The Legend of Saint Elizabeth’ was composed in 1864 and received its first performance in Budapest on August 15, 1865, which event marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Budapest Conservatory. The composition, however, was really undertaken at the request of the Duke of Weimar for a festival held at the Wartburg on Aug. 28, 1867, commemorating both the eighth centenary of its founding and also the restoration of the romantic old castle which was so intimately associated with the legend of St. Elizabeth. The text by Otto Roquette was inspired by the six magnificent frescoes by Moritz von Schwind which adorn the walls of the Wartburg, and it is divided into six scenes corresponding to the six frescoes.