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Hi,
I am studying Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah and am getting a bit confused as to who sings what. In particular I am not sure what the two altos (alto I & alto II) sing respectively. There are four different ways alto characters are called: alto I, alto II, The Queen, An Angel. There are normally two alto performing these parts. Is The Queen alto I or alto II? Who sings when the score just says "alto" with no other attribute? What does the angel sing then? I find all these names very confusing. I know that this oratorio is often performed by four soloists SATB. My question is about a SSAATTBB ensemble. Can anyone please help?
Thanks a lot,
Alessandro

Elijah is not an opera and the usual operatic conventions don't apply to it. The solo singers are only "in character" when a character is specified in the score for that particular moment (note at the beginning of each movement only the vocalist is designated, not the character). If a character is not specified, then that singer is "just" a singer, usually making some commentary on the action or situation. I think that every solo singer does this at least once except the bass, who remains Elijah throughout the score. And since a character is specified on a moment-to-moment basis, a single solo singer can take on more than one character, such as a single alto soloist being the queen at one point and an angel at another. This is how the piece can be performed with only four major vocal soloists.

While the double quartet movement (No.7) has two of everything, these are not the major characters (it would not make dramatic sense for them to be singing those words) but merely solo singers of each voice category as opposed, for example, to the whole soprano section of the choir. These solo singers can all be selected choir members, or they can include the main solo singers. But in performance that could create the kind of confusion you're experiencing.

--Sixtus

Thanks Sixtus! It does make sense.
So I guess that the way Elijah is performed and the vocal parts are assigned to the soloists depends pretty much on conductors and/or casting directors. I personally would prefer to have as many soloists as possible. Ideally SSAATTBB seems to me like a good compromise between the score's dramatic requirements and vocal variety.
Cheers
Alessandro