.In 2027, the Eindhoven Oratorio Society will celebrate its eightieth anniversary. To mark this jubilee, Paulus by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy will be performed.
Paul (opus 36) is an oratorio by the German composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847), composed between 1834 and 1836. The work describes the life and conversion of the apostle Paul, from his initial persecution by Christians to his conversion on the road to Damascus and his later missionary journeys.
The oratorio consists of two parts and combines choral passages, arias, recitatives, and chorales. Mendelssohn drew inspiration from the tradition of the Baroque oratorios of Bach and Handel, but employed a Romantic musical style. The large choral parts, in particular, play an important role in the work.
The premiere took place on May 22, 1836, in Düsseldorf and was a great success.
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