‘Elijah’ comes to Las Vegas

Marilyn LaRocque

Friday, Nov. 22, 2002 | 9:12 a.m.

When: 3 p.m. Sunday.

Where: UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall.

Tickets: $15 for adults; $10 for seniors, students, disabled, military.

Information: 895-2787.

Felix Mendelssohn's powerful oratorio "Elijah" will resonate at Artemus Ham Hall at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Sunday afternoon, marking the fourth time in its 40-year history that the Musical Arts Society Chorus (MAS) will perform the famous masterwork.

Led by its music director of the past 35 years, Douglas R. Peterson, the local group will be joined by members of the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale and four impressive soloists, accompanied by the Musical Arts Orchestra.

Mendelssohn (1809-1847) had a great fondness for England and was greatly influenced by George Frederick Handel ("The Messiah," 1685-1759). "Elijah" was first produced in Birmingham, England, in 1846, a year before Mendelssohn died. It focuses on the life of the prophet Elijah, whose name means "Yahweh is my God." (Ref: 1 Kings 17-19; 2 Kings 1-2.)

The story of Elijah lends itself particularly well to this dramatic music form. An oratorio is a large-scale vocal/orchestral composition based on a sacred subject; its text is drawn from the scriptures. Recitatives are used to move the story along between powerful arias and choruses.

Elijah stressed monotheism, the religion of Yahweh, and was angry that Israelites were turning away from Yahweh to the god Baal of the pagan Canaanite religion followed by Jezebel of Tyre, Queen of King Ahab. Elijah caused a drought as punishment.

Persecuted by Jezebel, Elijah wanders in the wilderness for three years. During that time he brings a widow's son back to life. To end the drought, the priests of Baal and Elijah compete to see whose god will light the fire on their respective altars. Elijah wins. The Israelites slay the priests and prophets of Baal. Elijah is taken to heaven in a whirlwind.

" 'Elijah' is the most important oratorio of 19th century romantic music," Peterson said. "It is a powerful statement of religious convictions. It's sung in English, so the singers connect with the audience in ways not possible with Latin texts of Masses. Mendelssohn is the Mozart of the Romantic Period and writes so well for voices. It's a privilege to have a singer of the outstanding calibre of Neil Wilson as Elijah."

Wilson, a bass-baritone from Richmond, Va., is making his ninth appearance with the MAS. It's the third time he has sung "Elijah" this year (Fairfax, Va., and Vancouver, Wash. were his other dates).

"There's still a freshness and immediacy of the work in my mind," he said, "so I don't have to dust it off and climb back up into the piece. It's very theatrical and requires a lot of endurance."

When preparing for Elijah, Wilson sings while working out on a Stairmaster.

"It's an athletic workout for body and voice," he said. "You have to sing with authority, with anger. The (voice) range and tempo are demanding, and there are very few opportunities to grab a breath in the middle of dramatic, powerful phrases. You're also competing with orchestral sound.

"It's one of the more challenging pieces for a baritone."

Wilson has been soloist with symphony orchestras from coast to coast and has performed at the Oregon Bach Festival and Grand Teton Music Festival. He was baritone soloist at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Mozart's "Grand Mass in C-minor." He has sung in oratorios and recitals in Germany and France.

In addition, Wilson's repertoire includes over 40 opera and musical theater roles,

Mezzo-soprano Juline Barol-Gilmore of Henderson will sing Jezebel. She thrilled the audience at the opening of Henderson Pavilion at Liberty Pointe. A New Mexico native, she has sung with opera companies and symphonies, particularly in Omaha, Neb.; Des Moines, Iowa; and in her home state.

Another local singer, tenor Steve Robinson of Las Vegas, is a frequent performer with MAS. He will sing Obediah, narrator/protagonist of "Elijah." He has performed with the Kansas City Lyric Opera, the St. Louis Opera and Cincinnati Opera. He has also been soloist with the Kansas City Philharmonic and in Leonard Bernstein's "Songfest," conducted by the composer.

The Widow, whose son Elijah revives, will be portrayed by soprano Amy Cofield. She has an extensive career in opera and oratorio and has sung the roles of Mimi and Musetta in "La Boheme" and Violetta in "La Traviata," as well as leading roles in "Rigoletto," "The Magic Flute" and "Candide."

Cofield has performed in England, France, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and Santo Domingo and recently made her Carnegie Hall debut as soprano soloist in Haydn's "Missa Brevis St. Joannis de Deo."