The Elijah I listened to at the Berlin Philharmonie on 8.3.2026 is the kind of version where Mendelssohn would be watching from heaven and smiling with utmost satisfaction. Having heard Benjamin Appl’s excellent and moving interpretations of Bach’s St. Matthew and St. John Passions, I had been anticipating his interpretation of Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Personally, the evening was another dream-come-true moment.
What follows are reflections and life impacts sparked by this performance rather than musical critique. There are two points: (1) Reflection on Baal worship (2) The essence of Elijah. I will do another post about the first point. This post is about the essence of Elijah.
The understanding I had never reached before listening to this concert is the essence of the Elijah oratorio: Elijah, a man who walked closely with God, and God, who showed him His faithfulness and grace. This God extended His love so extravagantly that He came to the world and restored the road to our heavenly home. Elijah was going home in the fiery chariot; after that, the choir sang the prophecy of the coming Messiah in “Aber einer erwacht von Mitternacht.”
The most moving part is the aria “Ja, es sollen wohl Berge weichen” (For the mountains shall depart).
It is easy to thank God when the boy comes back to life, when fire falls from heaven for everyone to see, when rain falls after years of drought, and the choir bursts into “Dank sei dir, Gott!”
But what about when Elijah has tried everything, walked faithfully despite difficulties, and all his effort was “rewarded” with life-threatening exile? God still met him in the desert and cared for him when he was suffering from depression and not performing impressive miracle deeds. After all these troubles, Elijah could still sing of God’s faithfulness and mercy in the heartwarming aria with confidence, affection, and tenderness:
“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.”
– Isaiah 54:10
During the concert, I realized how I have internalized the text with the wonderful music crafted by Mendelssohn over the years on different occasions such as singing in choir, conducting lessons, conducting choir, and accompanying soloists on organ.
In 2024, on my flight to Bristol, my luggage got lost, including my organ scores and shoes inside. “O Rest in the Lord” from Elijah was part of our concert programme. When necessary, I could of course make a new copy and play without organ shoes, but there were markings on my score that made me feel secure with my own score. I still remember how my head kept playing the “O rest in the lord” aria to me. In the end, my luggage arrived one day before the concert. It was a happy ending.
When I think back, this was only a small incident. I believe Elijah is my treasure to face any situation in life—strength, wisdom, comfort, hope, endurance—until going to my heavenly home. The background music for going home is “Wer bis an das Ende beharrt, der wird selig” (He that shall endure to the end, shall be saved). This choral piece brought me to tears.
For those wishing to explore Felix Mendelssohn’s legacy as composer and pedagogue more deeply, Benjamin’s thoughtfully curated programme with pianist Sholto Kynoch reflects on the musical tradition that emerged after Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatory in 1843, where he taught alongside Robert and Clara Schumann. The programme will be presented at Wigmore Hall on 19 July 2026.
I have been to two concerts by the duo last year, and if you are interested to know more, please follow the link below for concert reviews.
Elijah Cast:
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Maxim Emelyanychev | Dirigent
Hera Hyesang Park | Sopran
Carolyn Sampson | Sopran
Sophie Harmsen | Mezzosopran
Kieran Carrel | Tenor
Benjamin Appl | Bariton
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Gijs Leenaars | Choreinstudierung
Further Reading:
- Concert Review: Franz Schubert Master Storyteller
https://thejourney-writing.com/2025/10/concert-review-franz-schubert-master-storyteller.html - Concert Review: “Fischer-Dieskau 100 – Ein Leben in Liedern”
https://thejourney-writing.com/2025/05/concert-review-fischer-dieskau-100-ein-leben-in-liedern.html - Concert Review: Liederabend | Schumann & Kurtág
https://thejourney-writing.com/2026/02/concert-review-liederabend-schumann-kurtag.html
Thank you for being here, I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. If you would like to support my work on this blog, you can buy me a cup of coffee via: https://ko-fi.com/thejourneywriter
I thank you in advance 😊