Elias

On January 29, 2021, Mr. Bernheim will be performing Mendelssohn’s Elias oratorio in German with the Orchestra and Choir of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conducted by Antonio Pappano. Mr. Bernheim will be joined by cast members Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Wiebke Lehmkuhl, and Christof Fischesser. The performance, which is part of a digital series, will not be allowing in-person attendance, per Italy's Covid-19 regulations.

Mendelssohn’s Elias follows the life of the titled prophet (known as Elijah in English) according to the Old Testament books of First and Second Kings. The dramatic plot includes a resurrection of a fallen child, a vision of god, a fiery altar, and a flaming chariot. Mendelssohn composed the music to the German and English texts simultaneously. The English version was instantly declared a masterpiece after its premiere in 1846, and The German premiere was performed in Leipzig nearly two years later, occurring shortly after Mendelssohn’s passing.

The concert will be broadcast on Rai Cultura and on the radio on Rai Radio 3.

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