Haydn Society of Boston adopted it in 1845, and between then and
1878 performed it forty-five times.

In all the years of my intimate association with the lyric drama
(considerably more than the number of which Mr. Chorley has left us
a record) I have seen but one opera in which the plot adheres to
the Biblical story indicated by its title. That opera is Saint-
Saens's "Samson et Dalila." I have seen others whose titles and
dramatis personae suggested narratives found in Holy Writ, but in
nearly all these cases it would be a profanation of the Book to
call them Biblical operas. Those which come to mind are Goldmark's
"Konigin von Saba," Massenet's "Herodiade" and Richard Strauss's
"Salome." I have heard, in whole or part, but not seen, three of
the works which Rubinstein would fain have us believe are operas,
but which are not--"Das verlorene Paradies," "Der Thurmbau zu
Babel" and "Moses"; and I have a study acquaintance with the books
and scores of his "Maccabaer," which is an opera; his "Sulamith,"
which tries to be one, and his "Christus," which marks the
culmination of the vainest effort that a contemporary composer made
to parallel Wagner's achievement on a different line. There are
other works which are sufficiently known to me through library
communion or concert-room contact to enable me to claim enough
acquaintanceship to justify converse about them and which must
perforce occupy attention in this study. Chiefest and noblest of
these are Rossini's "Moses" and Mehul's "Joseph." Finally, there
are a few with which I have only a passing or speaking
acquaintance; whose faces I can recognize, fragments of whose
speech I know, and whose repute is such that I can contrive to
guess at their hearts--such as Verdi's "Nabucodonosor" and Gounod's
"Reine de Saba."