Elijah
(Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel;
rpt., Farnborough : Gregg Press, 1967)
With manuscript annotations by Robert Shaw
Robert Shaw (1916–1999) was the foremost American choral conductor of the 20th century. His papers, which include a vast library of annotated scores, came to Yale after his death. Shaw conducted Elijah many times, and—as was his custom—each time he returned to it, he obtained a clean copy of the published score and marked it up from scratch, usually in exhaustive detail, and in several colors. Altogether, the Shaw Papers contain no fewer than sixteen annotated scores of this oratorio, along with excerpts and a complete set of orchestral parts. Choral conductors frequently consult these materials when preparing their own performances. The abundance of material and its relevance to modern performers both testify to Elijah’s continued stature in the choral repertoire, more than a century after its composer’s death.