Mendelssohn: "Die erste Walpurgisnacht", op. 60

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Goethe's poem set to music by Mendelssohn. From a 1969 recording, here is Frederic Waldman conducting the Musica Æterna Orchestra and Chorus with soloists Lili Chookasian, Ernst Haefliger, Hermann Prey and Raymond Michalksi. Goethe wrote: "...one of our German antiquarians has endeavored to rescue, and to give an historical foundation for the story of the witches’ and devils’ ride on the Brocken, a legend which has been current in Germany, from time immemorial. His explanation is that the heathen priests and patriarchs of Germany, when they were driven from their sacred groves and when Christianity was forced upon the people, used to retire at the beginning of Spring with their faithful followers to the wild, inaccessible heights of the Harz Mountains, in order, according to the ancient custom, there to offer prayer and flame to the unembodied god of heaven and earth. And further, he thinks, they may have found it well to disguise a number of their own people so as to keep their superstitious foes at a distance, and that thus, protected by the antics of devils, they carried out the purest of services. I found this explanation somewhere, a few years ago, but cannot remember the name of the author. The idea pleased me, and I have turned this fabulous story back again into a poetical fable.”

Ouvertüre: Das schlechte Wetter - Der Übergang zum Frühling
"Es lacht der Mai" 9:02 (tenor & chorus)
"Könnt ihr so verwegen handeln?" 13:06 (alto & chorus)
"Wer Opfer heut' zu bringen scheut" 15:13 (baritone & chorus)
"Verteilt euch, wack're Männer, hier" 16:56 (chorus)
"Diese dumpfen Pfaffenchristen" 18:40 (bass & chorus)
"Kommt mit Zacken und mit Gabeln" 21:10 (chorus)
"So weit gebracht, dass wir bei Nacht" 26:09 (baritone & chorus)
"Hilf, ach hilf mir, Kriegsgeselle" 29:07 (tenor & chorus)
"Die Flamme reinigt sich vom Rauch" 30:07 (baritone & chorus)

Here's a link to my Frederic Waldman playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVaesGflLES8lbjsArz6VEF3IIBcPFmZN

And here is a link to my Hermann Prey playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL50DF1FE095B599FB&feature=plcp