Elgar's Oratorios

[André]

Any performance by Barbirolli (there's 3 of them I know of) has that extra ounce of emotion. The EMI recording is superb. Boult runs him close, with different qualities. Svetlanov is a must also IMO despite the live conditions. The sound is quite good but some people don't tolerate coughs (I don't find them intrusive but there you go). And let's not forget Sargent's magical 1945 recording.

I should revisit Elder's recording, but before that I have another set on hand I must explore (unwrap): McCreesh. Stay tuned !

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Any performance by Barbirolli (there's 3 of them I know of) has that extra ounce of emotion. The EMI recording is superb. Boult runs him close, with different qualities. Svetlanov is a must also IMO despite the live conditions. The sound is quite good but some people don't tolerate coughs (I don't find them intrusive but there you go). And let's not forget Sargent's magical 1945 recording.

I should revisit Elder's recording, but before that I have another set on hand I must explore (unwrap): McCreesh. Stay tuned !

Ah, very good, indeed.

Here are the ones I own: Boult (EMI/Warner), Barbirolli (EMI/Warner), Elder, McCreesh, Andrew Davis, Britten and I'll have to check and see if I own the Hickox or not. I can't remember.

Edit: Okay, I checked a few hours ago and the only other Gerontius I own is Colin Davis' LSO Live recording. I thought I owned Hickox, but looks like I don't since my Elgar collection is together in one spot.

[relm1]

Ah, very good, indeed.

Here are the ones I own: Boult (EMI/Warner), Barbirolli (EMI/Warner), Elder, McCreesh, Andrew Davis, Britten and I'll have to check and see if I own the Hickox or not. I can't remember.

Edit: Okay, I checked a few hours ago and the only other Gerontius I own is Colin Davis' LSO Live recording. I thought I owned Hickox, but looks like I don't since my Elgar collection is together in one spot.

I love the Hickox/LSO set.  I'm curious about the Simon Rattle/CBSO recording of Gerontius.  Any opinions?

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I love the Hickox/LSO set.  I'm curious about the Simon Rattle/CBSO recording of Gerontius.  Any opinions?

Good to know about the Hickox. I'll have to pass on it as I own way too many as it is, but, also, I don't buy CDs any more.

[Roasted Swan]

Good to know about the Hickox. I'll have to pass on it as I own way too many as it is, but, also, I don't buy CDs any more.

This is a live Gerontius (pardon the pun....) from the Proms with Andrew Davis.  A genuinely very fine, I'd say inspired performance with great soloists (Keith Lewis , Sir Willard White and Florence Quivar) but beautifully paced by Davis.  One of the very very best versions I reckon.

An unmentioned studio recording I like is this one;



I rate Oramo in general but his Elgar is excellent (his BIS Stockholm Symphonies for example....)

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

This is a live Gerontius (pardon the pun....) from the Proms with Andrew Davis.  A genuinely very fine, I'd say inspired performance with great soloists (Keith Lewis , Sir Willard White and Florence Quivar) but beautifully paced by Davis.  One of the very very best versions I reckon.

An unmentioned studio recording I like is this one;



I rate Oramo in general but his Elgar is excellent (his BIS Stockholm Symphonies for example....)

That Oramo recording of Gerontius is rare and OOP. So you've got a gem on your hands. One possible reason for its scarcity could be due to the fact that it was the CBSO's house label, which I'm not sure is even still around.

[Roasted Swan]

That Oramo recording of Gerontius is rare and OOP. So you've got a gem on your hands. One possible reason for its scarcity could be due to the fact that it was the CBSO's house label, which I'm not sure is even still around.

I didn't know that.  But do have a look at the YouTube/Davis performance I think it is rather special and proves just what a fine conductor Davis was.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I didn't know that.  But do have a look at the YouTube/Davis performance I think it is rather special and proves just what a fine conductor Davis was.

Oh, I agree Andrew Davis was a great Elgar conductor. I've got his Gerontius on Chandos which isn't bad, but as I've said before, I'm not completely in love with this work anyway.

[André]

So far my top recommendations for Gerontius irrespective of sound quality are the Barbirolli/Rome with Jon Vickers (live, 1957) and Sargent's 1945 EMI with Heddle Nash. I have another live Barbirolli performance (Carnegie Hall 1959 with Richard Lewis and Maureen Forrester) that is waiting in the pile. The only Gerontius I've never really enjoyed is Britten's Decca recording.

[André]

Second listening and it's already apparent there will be more. Not that this is the Gerontius to silence all others. Just that it's totally different.

I won't rhapsodize or analyze in depth its particularities. Those familiar with the work will recognize differences and figure out how they feel about them.

- Gerontius is alone on this set and it's not cheap. Most (all?) competitors are coupled with another Elgar work. Makes no difference to me, inasmuch as said coupling has musical value making its inclusion desirable.

- Modern recording made with great care and an obvious attention to musical niceties (« original instruments » being the most obviously desirable). More than the instruments themselves (an audible difference), it's the conductor's attention to dynamics and accents that allow for an authentic claim to authenticity - I mean: I suppose all these dynamic swells and infinitesimal instrumental/choral adjustments arise from the score. Strings, brass and organ get into the limelight in perfect focus: not just a big sonic Jell-O.

In a nutshell: a subtle, powerful and varicoloured sonic painting.

- To go along with the accent on orchestral colouring, dynamic gradations and the like, the focus is shifted form a dramatic narrative to a more subtle, sublimized, internalized account of the verses. That doesn't affect the choruses, which are finely gradated in intensity, but some listeners might find the soloists' delivery rather bland - it is not: just that it sounds as if emanating from the ether instead of from a dying man's room (I'm talking about Part I).

- Which brings me to the three soloists. Gerontius has three, two of which have two parts to impersonate (not just dramatically but also vocally).
A and b) Gerontius, then his Soul after his death; c ): the Angel that comforts his soul and then brings him on its voyage toward his Creator. D and e: The Priest that summons prayers from Gerontius' friends and family and then the Angel of Agony who solemnly calls forth Jesus' Spirit to strengthen Gerontius's soul as he goes before his Judge.

Treatises have no doubt been written about the vocal and dramatic subtleties required to each 'role'. IMO Part I should have an anguished, fearful yet feisty dying Gerontius, a soothing Angel and a loud, businesslike, unmoved Priest.

In Part II, the Soul of Gerontius undergoes an inner transformation: from the fear of death to the fear of judgment. The comforting, soothing Angel takes charge and warns Gerontius of what awaits him. A huge change occurs after Gerontius' vision of God: the Angel becomes the Paraclete, the comforter (incredible verses starting at 'Softly and gently, dearly ransomed soul').

So, what aboout McCreesh's soloists ?  In a nutshell: they sound like 'chamber soloists', whereas just about everybody else (there's lots of competition) take up an oratorio or even operatic stance.

Gerontius premiered in 1900 in Birmingham. I suspect big voices, histrionic countenance and lots of decibels were called for. Elgar must have expected that. But Gerontius is not really a 'public' work. It's the result of a communion between a musical genius and a religious/intellectual mind that struck as his artistic equal.

In short: this is a musically splendid Gerontius. Its many, many musical felicities will not be forgotten even if its artistic 'face' doesn't attempt to steal the limelight.

[Roasted Swan]

Second listening and it's already apparent there will be more. Not that this is the Gerontius to silence all others. Just that it's totally different.

I won't rhapsodize or analyze in depth its particularities. Those familiar with the work will recognize differences and figure out how they feel about them.

- Gerontius is alone on this set and it's not cheap. Most (all?) competitors are coupled with another Elgar work. Makes no difference to me, inasmuch as said coupling has musical value making its inclusion desirable.

- Modern recording made with great care and an obvious attention to musical niceties (« original instruments » being the most obviously desirable). More than the instruments themselves (an audible difference), it's the conductor's attention to dynamics and accents that allow for an authentic claim to authenticity - I mean: I suppose all these dynamic swells and infinitesimal instrumental/choral adjustments arise from the score. Strings, brass and organ get into the limelight in perfect focus: not just a big sonic Jell-O.

In a nutshell: a subtle, powerful and varicoloured sonic painting.

- To go along with the accent on orchestral colouring, dynamic gradations and the like, the focus is shifted form a dramatic narrative to a more subtle, sublimized, internalized account of the verses. That doesn't affect the choruses, which are finely gradated in intensity, but some listeners might find the soloists' delivery rather bland - it is not: just that it sounds as if emanating from the ether instead of from a dying man's room (I'm talking about Part I).

- Which brings me to the three soloists. Gerontius has three, which each have two parts to impersonate (not just dramatically but also vocally).
A and b) Gerontius, then his Soul after his death; c and d): the Angel that comforts him on his deathbed and then brings his soul on its voyage toward his Creator. E and f: The Priest that summons prayers from Gerontius' friends and family and then the Angel of Agony who solemnly calls forth Jesus' Spirit to strengthen Gerontius's soul as he goes before his Judge.

Treatises have no doubt been written about the vocal and dramatic subtleties required to each 'role'. IMO Part I should have an anguished, fearful yet feisty dying Gerontius, a soothing Angel and a loud, businesslike, unmoved Priest.

In Part II, the Soul of Gerontius undergoes an inner transformation: from the fear of death to the fear of judgment. The comforting, soothing Angel takes charge and warns Gerontius of what awaits him. A huge change occurs after Gerontius' vision of God: the Angel becomes the Paraclete, the comforter (incredible verses starting at 'Softly and gently, dearly ransomed soul').

So, what aboout McCreesh's soloists ?  In a nutshell: they sound like 'chamber soloists', whereas just about everybody else (there's lots of competition) take up an oratorio or even operatic stance.

Gerontius premiered in 1900 in Birmingham. I suspect big voices, histrionic countenance and lots of decibels were called for. Elgar must have expected that. But Gerontius is not really a 'public' work. It's the result of a communion between a musical genius and a religious/intellectual mind that struck as his artistic equal.

In short: this is a musically splendid Gerontius. Its many, many musical felicities will not be forgotten even if its artistic 'face' doesn't attempt to steal the limelight.

An interesting and insightful overview as always - one thing though - the Angel does not appear in Part I at all so there is no "comforting on his deathbed" sequence.

[71 dB]

My problem with GMG has always been the fact that I am not that interested of arguing about which performances of a particular work are the best or worst. For some reason I was most interested of classical music around 1997-2002 and these days I enjoy classical music only occasionally as an palate cleanser to the non-classical music I listen to the most. Lately I have been into 80s synth-pop listening to artists such as Jennifer Rush, Laura Branigan and Boy Meets Girl.

I have four recordings of Gerontius:

Bournemouth Symphony Chorus + Orchestra / David Hill / Naxos 8.553885-86
Hallé Orchestra + Choir + Youth Choir / Elder / CD HLD 7520
John Alldis Choir / London Philharmonic Choir & Orchestra / Adrian Boult / EMI
Sheffield Philh. Chorus / Ambrosian Singers / Hallé Choir + Orchestra / John Barbirolli / EMI

People say the Naxos is bad, but I disagree. I quite like it. People complain the recorded sound is quiet. It is, but I fix the problem by turning the volume up. Easy.

To me the Apostles and the Kingdom are superior works to Gerontius. I don't care if people disagree.

[André]

An interesting and insightful overview as always - one thing though - the Angel does not appear in Part I at all so there is no "comforting on his deathbed" sequence.

You are right of course. I have amended my post.