Elijah (oratorio) Austrian bass Joseph Staudigl. Mendelssohn had discussed an oratorio based on Elijah in the late 1830s with his friend Karl Klingemann, who had provided him with the libretto for his comic operetta "Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde", which resulted in a partial text that Klingemann was unable to finish. Mendelssohn then turned to , the librettist for his earlier oratorio "St. Paul", who quickly abandoned Klingemann's work and produced his own text that combined the story of Elijah as told in the Book of Kings with psalms. In 1845, the Birmingham Festival commissioned an oratorio from Mendelssohn, who worked with
Elijah Hall Elijah Hall Elijah Hall (December 8, 1742 – June 22, 1830) was an officer in the Continental Navy. Hall, born in Raynham, Massachusetts, was appointed Lieutenant in the Continental Navy on June 14, 1777, to serve in the frigate "Ranger" under John Paul Jones. "Ranger" sailed for France on November 1, 1777, taking two prizes en route, then put to sea from Brest on April 10, 1778, to cruise in the Irish Sea. Hall took part in the capture of several vessels, the landing at St. Mary's Isle April 23, and the capture of HMS "Drake" next day. Hall commanded