The oratorio "Elijah" by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, premiered in Birmingham in 1846, is one of the most important sacred works of the 19th century. It describes the Old Testament story of the prophet Elijah – his fight against idolatry, his miracles, his persecution and finally his ascension. Mendelssohn combines the clear structure and spiritual seriousness of the Baroque oratorio tradition of Bach and Handel with the emotional depth and colourful tonal language of the Romantic period.