On September, 5th, 1837, Robert Schumann wrote an article for his "Neue Zeitschrift für Musik", claiming "Paulus" to be "a work of the purest art, a work of peace and love". Still, the compositional process was everything except an easy one, for Mendelssohn himself declared that he felt like "a cow unable to find the barn door"! But he was finally able to draw the double bar. The première was a huge success, with no less than 356 singers and 160 instrumentalists on stage! Today, the oratorio is still considered one of the cornerstones of the sacred repertoire.

Mendelssohn, who as a young Jewish boy was baptised Christian, was endlessly fascinated by Bach. At the age of twenty he give the German people the opportunity to rediscover, for the first time since Bach’s death, the St Matthew Passion. And so began the tradition that endures to this day: the Passion according to St Matthew is performed each year in churches and concert halls around the world Mendelssohn’s fascination with the works of Bach is also evident in his St Paul, his oratorio about the life and work of the apostle. In this work Mendelssohn created a bold synthesis that combines references to Bach with the Romantic musical language. The result is a profound work that with its superb choruses and magnificent arias never fails to move its audience.

Flagey, Brussels Philharmonic, Vlaams Radio Koor, Octopus, Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel