Mendelssohn composed his first oratorio St Paul following his revival of J. S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion in 1829. The first version, premiered on 22 May 1836 in Dusseldorf, was then extensively revised by the composer. The second published version was premiered in Liverpool on 3 October 1836 in a translation by Mendelssohn's friend, Karl Klingermann. The acclaim with which the oratorio was received was exceptional. Within eighteen months of completing the score, Mendelssohn was able to list fifty performances of the work.

St Paul was one of Mendelssohn’s most popular works during his lifetime. Robert Schuman praised the ‘inextinguishable colour of the instrumentation’ and the ‘brilliant play with all the forms of composition’. Even Richard Wagner, who later denigrated Mendelssohn, was full of admiration. Sadly, St Paul is rarely performed in its entirety nowadays, but we think you will find much to admire in this rarely heard gem.