Christus (Mendelssohn) facts for kids

Christus is a special musical work by Felix Mendelssohn, a famous composer. It's an oratorio, which is like a big musical story, usually about a religious topic, performed by singers and an orchestra. Mendelssohn started writing Christus but sadly didn't finish it before he passed away. His brother, Paul, gave the unfinished pieces the title Christus, and they were published after Mendelssohn's death as his Opus 97.

The idea for Christus came from Christian Karl Josias von Bunsen. He helped put together the words, called the libretto, using stories from the Bible. Mendelssohn began composing this work in 1846 and continued working on it during his last year of life.

What is Christus About?

The parts of Christus that Mendelssohn did finish tell different parts of a story. One part is a recitative (a type of singing that sounds like talking) by a tenor singer. This section tells about the birth of Christ.

Important Choral Pieces

The work also includes two powerful pieces for a choir. One is called "Wo ist der neugeborne?" which means "Where is the newborn?" The other is "Es wird ein Stern aus Jacob aufgeh'n," meaning "There Shall a Star from Jacob Come Forth." These choruses use a well-known chorale (a hymn tune) called "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" by Philipp Nicolai.

The Passion Section

Another important part of Christus is a "passion" section. In music, a passion tells the story of the suffering and death of Jesus. This section of Christus ends with another famous chorale, "O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben" by Paul Gerhardt.

First Performance

Even though it was unfinished, the first time parts of Christus were performed was in 1852. This happened a few years after Mendelssohn's death. It allowed people to hear some of the beautiful music he had created for this special oratorio.