The Apostles (Elgar) facts for kids

The Apostles, op. 49, is a special kind of oratorio. An oratorio is a large musical story for solo singers, a chorus, and an orchestra. This one was composed by the famous English musician Edward Elgar. It was first performed on October 14, 1903.

How it Was Made

Edward Elgar had thought for many years about writing music about Jesus's Twelve Apostles. He was 42 years old when his well-known orchestral piece, Enigma Variations, was first played in 1899. After this success, the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival asked him to write a big new work.

Elgar first considered writing The Apostles. However, he soon realized it would take more than a year to finish. So, he decided to compose another oratorio called The Dream of Gerontius instead. When The Dream of Gerontius was first performed, it wasn't a big hit. This was partly because the orchestra and choir only had two weeks to learn it. Also, the conductor at the time didn't really like Elgar's music.

Later, The Dream of Gerontius was performed in Düsseldorf, Germany. It was also performed in Westminster Cathedral in London. Both of these performances were very successful and received lots of applause. Elgar became quite famous. He even received a special title, a doctorate, from the University of Cambridge. With this new fame, he began working on The Apostles. It was finally performed in Birmingham in 1903.

Originally, Elgar planned to write three oratorios that would connect to each other. The Apostles is the first one. The second one became The Kingdom. However, the third oratorio, which would have been about the Last Judgement, was never written.

The Story and the Music

This oratorio tells the story of Jesus's disciples. It shows how they reacted to the amazing things Jesus did. There are six solo singers in the performance. The narrator, who tells the story, has a tenor voice and also sings the part of St John. St Peter, Jesus, and Judas are all sung by bass singers.

The two female singers are a soprano and a mezzo-soprano. The soprano sings the parts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel. The mezzo-soprano sings the part of Mary Magdalene.

Some people have said that The Apostles doesn't have a very clear dramatic story. But Elgar was more interested in understanding why people behave the way they do. He was especially interested in the two characters who made mistakes: Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot.

The orchestra used for The Apostles is very large. The music also includes the sound of a shofar, which is a special horn. This sound is often played by a brass instrument in the orchestra. There are also two choirs: a large double choir and a smaller choir called a semichorus.

Parts of the Oratorio

The work is divided into two main parts and seven sections. Each section flows into the next without a break. Elgar chose all the words himself. He spent a lot of time reading different translations of the Bible. He combined sentences from several versions to create the story.

• (Part 1) "The Calling of the Apostles". The music starts just before dawn. The sun rises, and one by one, Jesus chooses his Apostles.
• "By the Wayside". This section shows Jesus teaching. It includes the famous Beatitudes.
• "By the Sea of Galilee". This part is all about Mary Magdalene. After a stormy night, she has a change of heart and decides to live a good life.
• (Part 2) "The Betrayal". This section focuses on Judas. Elgar shows Judas as someone who was trying to force Jesus to perform a miracle. Judas wanted Jesus to prove he was the Son of God. In the end, Judas feels terrible and full of despair.
• "Golgotha". This is a short musical break, just like the next section.
• "At the Sepulchre". The story of the Resurrection (Jesus rising from the dead) is briefly told. The narrator and a chorus of angels share this part.
• "The Ascension". Elgar wasn't as interested in the actual miracle of the Ascension. The music here is more about the Apostles. It shows them getting ready to start the Christian Church on Earth.

How People Liked It

Unlike The Dream of Gerontius, which wasn't popular at first, The Apostles was an immediate hit. Both the audience and music critics loved it right away. People were starting to get used to the grand style of oratorio that Elgar was writing.

However, today, The Dream of Gerontius is the most popular of Elgar's oratorios. The Apostles uses words from many different parts of the Bible, which can seem a bit unusual. But it also has some truly beautiful music. Elgar often wrote the music first and then added the words later.

Elgar used leitmotifs in this work. These are special melodies that are linked to particular people or ideas. He got this idea from the composer Wagner. Some of the leitmotifs you hear in The Apostles can also be heard in The Kingdom.