The Game of Thrones (+) Guide To Mendelssohn’s Elijah — Part 1
My choir is performing Mendelssohn’s Elijah at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall this weekend, August 18th and 19th. The official program notes are likely going to be boring (and not meant to be read in dim lighting), so allow me to help you make sense of this musical period piece.
Elijah is a Jewish prophet in Biblical times. Please show solidarity to all the Jews past and present and give Bannon, the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists the finger by coming to the show. I am an Asian girl and we love Jewish men, so Elijah’s already got that going for him. More importantly, he’s your Jon Snow 😍😍😍 in this story.
The English lyrics of this oratorio are from the Schirmer edition. Let’s start from the very beginning …
Introduction
Elijah: As God the Lord of Israel liveth, before whom I stand: There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
This section is meant to show off the big voice of the baritone. He’s saying, “The drought is coming.” #winteriscoming
Overture
Orchestra only. This is when the credits would roll if there were credits to roll. Imagine a 3D map of Israel, divided into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. Many wheels spinning. (Our Elijah is from the North.)
#1: “Help, Lord.”
The People: Help, Lord! Wilt Thou quite destroy us! The harvest now is over, the summer days are gone, and yet no power cometh to help us! Will then the Lord be no more God in Zion? The deeps afford no water! And the rivers are exhausted! The suckling’s tongue now cleaveth for thirst to his mouth! The infant children ask for bread! And there is no one breaketh it to feed them.
A bunch of people whining. “Cleave” apparently means “to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly.” The tongue cleaveth for cleavage but to no avail, so let’s ask for bread. Got teeth?
#2: “Lord, Bow Thine Ear.”
Two Women: Zion spreadeth her hands for aid, and there is neither help nor comfort.
The People: Lord, bow thine ear to our prayer.
Two babes narrating — this is when we’re introduced to the soprano and alto soloists — while the people continue to plead and beg. A strange way to pray, really. We’re asking the Lord to “bow” his ear? Why don’t we ask him to bend the knee, too.
#3: “Ye People, Rend Your Hearts.”
Obadiah: Ye people, rend your hearts and not your garments for your transgressions: the prophet Elijah hath sealed the heavens through the word of God. I therefore say to ye: forsake your idols, return to God; for He is slow to anger, and merciful, and kind, and gracious, and repenteth Him of the evil.
Obadiah is a prophet on the good (North) side. But he works as a butler (“majordomo”) for King Ahab. He ran a Schindlers’ List-type operation and saved a bunch of Jews from the bad queen Jezebel. Obadiah is like a Ned Stark for King Ahab, who is like a Robert Baratheon. Ahab’s marriage to the Phoenician princess Jezebel, who is like a Cersei Lannister, was a strategic alliance orchestrated by his father.
The backstory of this saga is that God is fucking mad at the people for worshipping the idol Baal, hence the drought. Jezebel is a priestess for Baal, who, like the High Sparrow, is thoroughly bad news.
#4: “If With All Your Hearts.”
Obadiah: “If with all your hearts ye truly seek me, ye shall ever surely find me.” Thus saith our God. Oh! That I knew where I might find Him, that I might even come before His presence!
When you’re a prophet, you just want to hear yourself do another solo.
#5: “Yet Doth The Lord.”
The People: Yet doth the Lord see it not, He mocketh at us; His curse hath fallen down upon us, His wrath will pursue us till He destroy us. For He, the Lord our God, He is a jealous God. And He visiteth all the fathers’ sins on the children to the third and the fourth generation of them that hate Him. His mercies on thousands fall, on all them that love him and keep his commandments.
That’s the way to ask for mercy. First, tell God he’s a jealous asshole.
Oh wait, our Chorus Director decided to let us play God. The above bolded section, in our performance, has been changed to:
God: For I, the Lord your God, I am a jealous God. And I shall visit all the fathers’ sins on the children to the third and the fourth generation of them that hate Me. My mercies on thousands fall, on all them that love Me and keep My commandments.
So don’t cross me or I’ll screw you over and Barron Trump too, and Barron’s son, grandson, great grandson, and great great grandson. Sad!
#6: “Elijah, Get Thee Hence.”
An Angel: Elijah! Get thee hence, Elijah! Depart and turn thee eastward: thither hide thee by Cherith’s brook. There shalt thou drink its waters; and the Lord thy God hath commanded the ravens to feed thee there: so do according unto His word.
Enters the omniscient Three-Eyed Raven and MORE RAVENS!
#7: “For He Shall Give His Angels”
Angels: For He shall give His angels charge over thee; that they shall protect thee in all the ways thou goest; that their hands shall uphold and guide thee, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Dragons shall uphold and guide thee. If thou dash thy foot against Dragonstone, thou shalt find dragonglass.
#7A: “Now Cherith’s Brook.”
An Angel: Now Cherith’s brook is dried up, Elijah. Arise and depart, and get thee to Zarephath. Thither abide: for the Lord hath commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. And the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
Elijah took up with this widow in Zarephath in Phoenicia. She’s possibly like a Ygritte, but IDK. She did become a believer since God didn’t let her food or oil run out, and especially after the zombie resurrection, up next.
#8: What Have I To Do With Thee.”
The Widow: What have I to do with thee, O man of God? Art thou come to me, to call my sin unto remembrance? To slay my son art thou come hither? Help me, man of God! My son is sick! And his sickness is so sore, that there is no breath left in him! I go mourning all the day long; I lie down and weep at night. See mine affliction. Be thou the orphan’s helper!
Her son got sick.
Elijah: Give me thy son. Turn unto her, O lord my God. In mercy help this widow’s son! For thou art gracious, and full of compassion, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Lord my God, O let the spirit of this child return, that he again may live.
Elijah does a Melissandre!
The Widow: Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise thee?
Elijah: Lord my God, O let the spirit of this child return, that he again may live!
The Widow: Shall the dead arise, the dead arise and praise thee?
Elijah: Lord, my God, let the spirit of this child return, that he again may live!
The Widow: The Lord hath heard thy prayer, the soul of my son reviveth! My son reviveth!
Elijah: Now behold, thy son liveth!
The Widow: Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that His word in thy mouth is the truth. What shall I render to the Lord, for all his benefits to me?
Elijah: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. O blessed are they who fear Him!
Both: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. O blessed are they who fear Him!
Success! The Red Woman couldn’t have done it better.
#9: “Blessed Are The Men Who Fear Him.”
The People: Blessed are the men who fear Him, they ever walk in the way of peace. Through darkness riseth light, light to the upright. He is gracious, compassionate; He is righteous.
If you’re not religious and you just come to this concert to hear your friends sing, you probably don’t care too much about this story of dead white males fighting each other. It’s just a story. But to demonstrate our inclusiveness, our chorus has changed the lyrics to “Blessed are all they who fear Him” — just so you ladies don’t feel left out of this blessedness. This is the kind of thing that will rile James Damore and the alt-right some more. (Hey can we come perform at Google now?) Blessed are all they who fear the Khaleesi. If you don’t, you’re BBQ.
#10: “As God The Lord Of Sabaoth.”
Elijah: As God the Lord of Sabaoth liveth, before whom I stand, three years this day fulfilled, I will shew myself unto Ahab; and the Lord will then send rain again upon the earth.
“Sabaoth” means hosts of heaven. I suppose that includes hostesses too. It’s not to be confused with “sabbath.” He’s not calling on the Lord of My-Day-Off-From-Work. Note: Elijah says SA-BEY-OT, while the people say SA-BAH-OT. #tomato
Ahab: Art thou Elijah! Art thou he that troubleth Israel!
Ahab, king of Israel, from House Omri.
The People: Thou art Elijah, thou he that troubleth Israel!
Elijah: I never troubled Israel’s peace: it is thou, Ahab, and all thy father’s house. Ye have forsaken God’s commands, and thou hast follow’d Baalim. Now send, and gather to me the whole of Israel unto Mount Carmel. There summon the prophets of Baal, and also the prophets of the groves who are house feasted at Jezebel’s table. Then we shall see whose God is the Lord.
The People: And then we shall see whose God is the Lord.
Elijah: Rise then, ye priests of Baal. Select and slay a bullock, and put no fire under it; uplift your voices and call the god ye worship. And I then will call on the Lord Jehovah. And the god who by fire shall answer, let him be God.
The People: Yea, and the God who by fire shall answer, let him be God.
Elijah: Call first upon your god, your numbers are many. I, even I only, remain one prophet of the Lord. Invoke your forest gods, and mountain deities.
The stage is set for a showdown. The gods are called to show up and duke it out. There will be fire. But will there be a secret weapon like Gregor Clegane a.k.a. The Mountain? Stay tuned.
By the way, here’s a question for scholars: How does God like his sacrificed bullocks, with or without balls? Wikipedia confuses me 😮
- Bullock (in British English), a castrated male bovine animal of any age.
- Bullock (in North America), a young bull (an uncastrated male bovine animal).
- Bullock (in Australia, India and New Zealand), an ox, an adult bovine animal used for draught (usually but not always a castrated male).
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