A infamous villain of the Hebrew Bible, the Baal-worshiping Athalia usurped the throne of Judah, tried to kill all royal heirs, and dominated as Queen for six years (c. 841–835 BC) earlier than being overthrown.
The dramatic story is the topic of Jean Racine’s 1691 play, in addition to Handel’s 1733 oratorio. King Frederick William IV of Prussia commissioned Felix Mendelssohn to put in writing incidental music for a Berlin efficiency of Racine’s Athalie. Along with the Overture, Mendelssohn composed The Conflict March of the Monks and 6 vocal items.
The Overture begins with a solemn chorale which could remind you of the opening of Wagner’s Tannhäuser. Coincidentally, Tannhäuser and Mendelssohn’s Athalie, Op. 74 premiered months aside in 1845. A flowing second theme, performed by flutes and clarinets, is propelled ahead by the glowing sounds of the harp and string pizzicati. A sudden trumpet fanfare opens the door to slithering chromatic strains and a tempestuous new theme.
The story ends with the return of a triumphant God. As Athalie makes an attempt to have the younger Joash executed, she is surrounded by armed Levites and submits to loss of life. Close to the top of the Overture, a sequence of harsh misleading cadences foreshadow the “lifeless finish” of the evil Queen’s story. The coda begins with a victorious proclamation augmented by the trombones. The majestic chorale soars upwards to its ultimate cadence.
Recordings
- Mendelssohn: Athalie, Op. 74, MWV M16: Overture · Moshe Atzmón, New Philharmonia Orchestra Amazon
Featured Picture: “Racine Studying Athalie Earlier than Louis XIV and Madame de Maintenon” (1819), Julie Philipault.
