Oratorio "Paulus Op. 36 by F. Mendelssohn", a masterpiece of sacred music, inspired by J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion, which Mendelssohn had then rescued from the past.
Mendelssohn made extensive theological and historical studies for the libretto, renouncing the edifying versifications of the usual librettos. Using only the biblical text, he based most of his work on the Acts of the Apostles, but also on other texts from the Old and New Testaments.
The libretto opens with the stoning death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, a martyrdom inflicted by, among others, Saul of Tarsus, who decided to dedicate himself to persecuting the Christians of Syria. On the road to Damascus, the miracle took place, the divine call of Christianity. The blindness in which he lived is materialised physically through the loss of his sight, a sense regained after his conversion, symbolised by the change of name from Saul to Paul. This is followed by reports of the journeys of Paul, already an apostle, and Barnabas; their missions among the Jews and the pagans who revolted against them, especially in Ephesus, the city from where Paul left for Jerusalem to face intense trials.

The performers will be the Porto Cathedral Choir, the Atlantic Orchestra, 4 soloists ((Raquel Mendes, soprano; Ana Isabel Santos, alto; Fernando Guimarães, tenor and Job Tomé, bass), under the direction of Tiago Ferreira.