Although it was plotless, its choreography reflected the biblical themes of suffering and rejoicing that inspired Handel's great oratorio.
Another influence at this time was the creation of Choral Union with the purpose of performing the great oratorios.
The obvious point of comparison for "Elijah" would be one or more of Handel's great dramatic oratorios.
He was especially successful in the presentation of the great oratorios and the management of large choruses.
This great oratorio represents the end of an era, a triumphant end at that.
Among many great oratorios that he wrote, Messiah is his most famous one.
In terms of sheer creative struggle, "The Seasons" is perhaps even more a triumph than Haydn's other great oratorio, "The Creation."
The work at hand was "The Creation," Haydn's great oratorio that conveys an Enlightenment view of the first week of temporal existence.
The subject matter of the great oratorios, often based on Old Testament stories, were close to the hearts of the many devout chapelgoers.
Schumann's ambitious score, written shortly after his Second Symphony, begins as if it could be the great 19th-century oratorio.