Paulus, Mendelssohn's other large oratorio, has never had as strong a grip on the public imagination as Elijah (1846), and it's not too hard to see why. Elijah uses as its basis one of the most psychologically interesting characters in the Hebrew Bible, and the episode that's the focus of the oratorio is one of its oddest and most dramatic stories. Paul's life has no shortage of incident and high drama, but the composer used a libretto, that after Saul's life-changing conversion on the road to Damascus, doesn't capitalize on the engrossing details of the reminder of Paul's life, but amounts to a theological discourse. The preachy text didn't consistently bring out Mendelssohn's strongest inspiration. Fresh from his immersion in Bach's St. Matthew Passion, he made significant use of chorale melodies and Baroque counterpoint. Particularly in the choruses, he relied heavily on the models of Bach and Handel, with the result frequently sounding like imitation Baroque note-spinning, and the recitatives are strongly indebted to those of Handel's oratorios. The moments where his own voice is clearest are the most effective, such as in the lovely duet for tenor and bass, "Denn also hat uns der Herr geboten." His use of women's voices to represent the voice of Jesus was controversial at the time, but it is brilliantly effective. Paulus is most likely to appeal to fans of the oratorios of Handel and of large Romantic choral works like Elijah. It's possible to hear both aesthetics at work in Paulus, and while it may not be Mendelssohn's most memorable work, it is an important landmark in the development of nineteenth century religious music.
Doris Hagel leads an earnest and well-paced performance. Ensemble Capella Weilburgensis uses period instruments and is attentive to details of period performance practice. Kantorei der Schlosskirche Weilburg sounds like a very good amateur chorus, but in this acoustical environment it's difficult to understand without following the libretto and the sound is also somewhat distant.
The male soloists are the most successful. Tenor Markus Brutscher's voice isn't large, but it's strong, clear, and secure, and his performance is spontaneous and unmannered.
Klaus Mertens' bass is exceptionally mellow and warm, and he sings with sensitivity. Alto Dorothée Zimmermann sounds grainy and unsupported, and Sabine Goetz's soprano is small and thin. The sound quality is somewhat mushy in the choral sections, but the soloists come across with more clarity.