Mendelssohn Chorkonzert by Mendelssohn, Ds. 15 Oct. 2022, De (2022/2022), Director musical Patrick Secchiari, Französische Kirche, Berne, Switzerland

When Felix Mendelssohn completed his first oratorio Paulus in 1836, he was already an internationally acclaimed musician: he had been touring all over Europe as a piano virtuoso for years, leading choral societies, music societies and music festivals in Germany and had a real Bach renaissance with the revival of Bach's St Matthew Passion in 1829 initiated. In Düsseldorf in 1833, after a successful music festival, he was immediately elected general music director, and in Leipzig, where he delighted the audience as conductor of the Gewandhaus from 1835, he was made an honorary citizen. He also enjoys great respect from his composing contemporaries, especially Robert Schumann: "His praise was always the highest for me, he was the highest final authority". The success of his Paulus in England, which was enthusiastic about oratorios, and then in Leipzig, strengthened his reputation as a leading composer in the field of Protestant church music until his premature death in 1847. During these ten years he also composed the cantata Wie der Hirsch schreit, the hymn Hör mein Bitten and his second major oratorio Elias, although he did not live to see its first performance in Berlin in 1847.