The Standard Oratorios: Their Stories, Their Music, And Their ComposersUpton, George P. (George Putnam)
Religion
The Standard Oratorios: Their Stories, Their Music, And Their Composers
Upton, George P. (George Putnam)
Oratorio
The English versions of the "Mount of Olives" differ materially from the
German in the text. Numerous efforts have been made to avoid the
incongruity of the original narrative, but with poor success. It was
first produced in England in 1814 by Sir George Smart during the Lenten
oratorios at Drury Lane, the English version of which was made by Arnold,
at that time manager of the King's Theatre. Still later it was produced
again, and the adapter compromised by using the third person, as
"'Jehovah, Thou, O Father,' saith the Lord our Saviour." Two other
versions were made by Thomas Oliphant and Mr. Bartholomew, but these were
not successful. At last the aversion to the personal part of Jesus led to
an entirely new text, called "Engedi," the words of which were written by
Dr. Henry Hudson, of Dublin, and founded upon the persecution of David by
Saul in the wilderness, as described in parts of chapters xxiii., xxiv.,
and xxvi. of the first book of Samuel. The characters introduced are
David, Abishai, and the Prophetess, the latter corresponding to the
Seraph in the original. The compiler himself in his preface says:--
"So far as was possible, the author has availed himself of Scripture
language, and David's words have been taken (almost wholly) from the
Psalms generally attributed to him, though of course not in regular
order, as it has invariably throughout been the writer's first object
to select words adapting themselves to the original music in its
continually varying expression, which could not have been done had he
taken any one psalm as his text. How far the author has succeeded, he
must leave to others to determine."
The substituted story has not proved successful, principally because the
music, which was written for an entirely different one, is not adapted to
it. The latest version is that of the Rev. J. Troutbeck, prepared for the
Leeds festivals, in which the Saviour is again introduced.
BENNETT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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