Mendelssohn’s Athalia, i.e. the incidental music to Racine’s tragedy Athalie, occupies a special place among the composer’s incidental works for stage plays. The composer began by setting the original French text (Vol. V/9A) before expanding his concept step by step for the German version. He revised this version several times – and especially the closing chorus – for the first performance in 1845. The work was not published during the composer’s lifetime, which means that, in consideration of Mendelssohn’s notorious self-criticism, there is no definitive final version. Armin Koch has taken up the editorial challenge and, with his great knowledgeability, cleared up all questions concerning the authentic form of the work.