Elgar's Oratorios
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(http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/05/02/elgar-26956e3c5b7ad07f4d9030421e221e7f4c4b0dc0-s6-c30.jpg)
It seems that The Dream of Gerontius gets the most praise amongst Elgar's oratorios and, while I don't find it as immediately appealing as the others, I can certainly understand the 'masterpiece' status that's so often placed upon the work. Part II contains some of Elgar's most incredible vocal and orchestral writing IMHO, especially the last 5-6 minutes. Completely out-of-this-world. But, if I had to a pick my favorite oratorio, it would be The Kingdom.
What is everybody's opinion of the oratorios of Elgar? Any noteworthy recordings that you're fond of? Have you ever witnessed one these works live? If yes, who were the soloists, conductor, and orchestra?
Thanks for the thread . . . one result is, I had a look at
the Dream of Gerontius page at Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dream_of_Gerontius), and learnt that
Elgar added to the end of the score a quote from
Jn Ruskin:
QuoteThis is the best of me; for the rest, I ate, and drank, and slept, loved and hated, like another: my life was as the vapour and is not; but this I saw and knew; this, if anything of mine, is worth your memory.
Yeah, Karl, I read that quote somewhere, too. It seemed that although Gerontius didn't have a successful premiere, it did end up doing quite well and Elgar, in the end, was, overall, quite satisfied with the work. As I said, there's a lot of beautiful music within the piece, but, as a whole, I have yet have come around to it. Only time will tell.
Well, today I heard The Kingdom, and so I've heard all three (the Elder recordings on Spotify). Great music!
You encourage me, Karlo. (Though my expectation remains that Gerontius will reign supreme 8) )
Quote from: karlhenning on January 10, 2014, 03:26:44 AM
You encourage me, Karlo. (Though my expectation remains that Gerontius will reign supreme 8) )
Of course, your expectations could be exceeded. 8)
Quote from: North Star on January 10, 2014, 12:17:18 AM
Well, today I heard The Kingdom, and so I've heard all three (the Elder recordings on Spotify). Great music!
Most excellent, Karlo. Hope you enjoyed it.
Quote from: karlhenning on January 10, 2014, 03:26:44 AM
You encourage me, Karlo. (Though my expectation remains that Gerontius will reign supreme 8) )
Oh, can't say that you would be mistaken,
Karl.
The Apostles in particular has a lot to offer too, though.
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 10, 2014, 06:43:05 AM
Most excellent, Karlo. Hope you enjoyed it.
I usually do enjoy the music I call great - even if not all the music I enjoy is necessarily
great. :)
Quote from: North Star on January 10, 2014, 07:34:40 AM
Oh, can't say that you would be mistaken, Karl. The Apostles in particular has a lot to offer too, though.
So does
The Kingdom. The movement
Part IV: The Sign of Healing - The Sun Goeth Down is one of the most moving utterances in any Elgar work I've heard. If one is not moved by this then I don't know what to tell them other than "Enjoy your empty heart!" :)
Quote from: North Star on January 10, 2014, 07:34:40 AMI usually do enjoy the music I call great - even if not all the music I enjoy is necessarily great. :)
Well sure, something can be great on first listen and on the second time around it could hit you less immediately until you find yourself not enjoying the music as much as you did on that first hearing. Of course, with me,
The Kingdom only got better and better with each successive listen.
Great thread !
I don't know The Apostles or The Kingdom. I should remedy to that soo though, as I have Boult's Kingdom in the pile.
I have 9 versions of Gerontius, a work I have known since my early twenties. It has never ceased to thrill and fascinate me. There are countless felicities in it and its balance of forces (three soloists only, mixed choirs and large orchestra) is very cunning. The ascent to Heaven and the appearance of God is one of the most sublime moments of all music. The ensuing plea of Gerontius, 'Take me away' is heart-tugging.
Cardinal Newman's text is often derided, but in a 'Ye Olde England' kind of way I find it communicates very strongly. The four vocal roles are uniquely challenging. Most recordings have the same bass take on the role of the Priest and the Angel of Agony. Each of the soloists must have dramatic capabilities worthy of a Verdi opera, and voices to match.
I am thrilled at the prospect of hearing the other two grat oratorios.
The Kingdom is still my favorite Elgar oratorio. You should definitely check it out, Andre. Get the Elder/Halle recording. It's sublime.
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 04, 2014, 02:04:03 PM
The Kingdom is still my favorite Elgar oratorio. You should definitely check it out, Andre. Get the Elder/Halle recording. It's sublime.
Not sure if it is sublime, but it is certainly better than Boult. The whole series of Elder/Halle is worth getting, in fact.
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,10121.20.html
My comments on Gerontius from the Cantata thread. Scroll to bottom of the page.
Mike
Ahh, Elgar is a weak spot of mine beyond the symphonies and P&C. :( Hmm, partaking of your obvious exuberant enthusiasm forces me to listen to one of the oratorios ASAP. Which one is the best entry point? Gerontius (since it is the earliest one)?
Quote from: Moonfish on May 04, 2014, 11:54:20 PM
Which one is the best entry point? Gerontius (since it is the earliest one)?
Yes, but not because it is the earlier one. Because it is the best one and the one to listen to if you try just one.
I have the Elder Gerontius and it is one of the best. I find it a bit too polished and even icy at times, but there's no denying it is immensely proficient musically and technically. My favourite one is the live italian Barbirolli with the amazing Gerontius of Jon Vickers - cracked notes and all. A spellbinding, gut-wrenching interpretation.
Then the Hickox, Boult, Elder and Handley versions.
For 'Kingdom' the Boult was purchased a long time ago (2 years?). I bought the Hickox 'Apostles' yesterday following this thread. I love this conductor's Gerontius and the set was 1/3 the price of the Elder. Once I have both oratorios securely under my belt I'll go for the Elder versions.
Will be interested to hear your reception of the Hickox Apostles, mon cher.
Quote from: Moonfish on May 04, 2014, 11:54:20 PM
Which one is the best entry point? Gerontius (since it is the earliest one)?
Definitely Gerontius because it's the easiest one to appreciate (that's why it is so popular). The Apostles and The Kingdom are more sophisticated works, but also harder to appreciate.
Bump.
Cross posted. from WAYL2 thread:
(https://i.discogs.com/XhhkL73IAvBN2hbAA10m5bUkgV8mnSVNHK10Hqy-Uw8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMDQx/OTI3LTE1MDg3NzAy/MTctNTg2My5qcGVn.jpeg)
Svetlanov's dramatic take on Gerontius was the actual premiere of the work in Russia (1983). It must have been a momentous and prestigious affair, with the LSO chorus (prepared by Hickox) and distinguished English soloists flown in for the occasion.
5 years later Hickox got to make his own recording for Chandos but this time he was in charge of everything - chorus and orchestral execution. Two of the Moscow soloists reprised their task as Gerontius and The Angel: Arthur Davies and Felicity Palmer. The bass who sang the roles of The Priest and The Angel of Agony went to Gwynne Howell (Norman Bailey had sung them in the russian premiere).
So how's Hickox own performance as general project manager vs his previous role as chorus master of someone else's conception of the work ?
Some marked differences are the inevitable result of hall acoustics. The Melodiya account was a live performance taped in the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, with soloists caught in a more upfront perspective, with individual microphone placement, possibly with reverb added in the control room. The solo voices sound farther back on the Chandos disc, the voices sweeter but also less characterful.
A degree of pungency is part of Felicity Palmer's very special mezzo sound and this is especially the case in the live recording. The more flattering Chandos sound smooths the edges of her voice. I wrote earlier that she could go 'full Klytemnestra' (Strauss' Elektra's harridan queen). Under Hickox she is more an Eboli or Amneris. Still unusual in sound for an oratorio mezzo, but definitely more maternal in sound. For comparison I played the second half of the second part back to back. Palmer/Hickox is still a redoubtable vocalist, but she didn't make my eyebrows shoot up and my jaw go slack at her forte interval leaps.
Much the same could be said of Davies' Gerontius. On both occasions his voice is insolently healthy for a dying old geezer, but it's even sweeter in sound under Hickox. I almost expected him to break into 'Ev'ry Valley' after his solos as The Soul. Under Svetlanov he is more declamatory, with a degree of defiance quite apparent - this Gerontius definitely indignant at the Priest's exhortation: 'Go forth upon thy journey, Christian soul! Go from this world !' Woooaaw, camel, not so fast ! That kind of resistance seems to have melted under Hickox' more enveloping conception of Gerontius' death watch.
Bass Gwynne Howell has a beautiful, rounded voice, fully equal to the demands of the role. Norman Bailey, a noted Wotan (their part as the Angel of Agony also heard twice in the comparison I made) sounds a bit more ample of tone, with a slightly freer delivery and more air around his noble tones. That's possibly a result of Chandos' more blended acoustic.
As for Hickox as chorus master AND orchestra conductor, I found him very attentive to the niceties of Elgar's special way with cadences (musical phrase ends), pauses, etc. The first faint intimation of the Judgment theme at 'the judgment is begun' in The Angel's duet with Gerontius 'My Work is Done' is a wonderful touch. That theme comes out clearly and ominously under Hickox, while it's less distinctly heard in the live Svetlanov. There are other places where I perceived a more even temperament at work on the podium. Svetlanov had discovered Elgar in Britain and was an ardent advocate. Communicating his discovery to his compatriots was probably his overriding goal when preparing and performing the work.
Between the two one may favour Hickox for his successful smoothing of Svetlanov's sharper edges and Chandos' better sound. Personally I wouldn't want to be without Svetlanov and his soloists' searing conception of the work. Oh, and the chorus: they are more involved in Russia - men and women on a mission.
Quote from: André on April 22, 2025, 12:28:20 PMBump.
Cross posted. from WAYL2 thread:
(https://i.discogs.com/XhhkL73IAvBN2hbAA10m5bUkgV8mnSVNHK10Hqy-Uw8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMDQx/OTI3LTE1MDg3NzAy/MTctNTg2My5qcGVn.jpeg)
Svetlanov's dramatic take on Gerontius was the actual premiere of the work in Russia (1983). It must have been a momentous and prestigious affair, with the LSO chorus (prepared by Hickox) and distinguished English soloists flown in for the occasion.
5 years later Hickox got to make his own recording for Chandos but this time he was in charge of everything - chorus and orchestral execution. Two of the Moscow soloists reprised their task as Gerontius and The Angel: Arthur Davies and Felicity Palmer. The bass who sang the roles of The Priest and The Angel of Agony went to Gwynne Howell (Norman Bailey had sung them in the russian premiere).
So how's Hickox own performance as general project manager vs his previous role as chorus master of someone else's conception of the work ?
Some marked differences are the inevitable result of hall acoustics. The Melodiya account was a live performance taped in the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, with soloists caught in a more upfront perspective, with individual microphone placement, possibly with reverb added in the control room. The solo voices sound farther back on the Chandos disc, the voices sweeter but also less characterful.
A degree of pungency is part of Felicity Palmer's very special mezzo sound and this is especially the case in the live recording. The more flattering Chandos sound smooths the edges of her voice. I wrote earlier that she could go 'full Klytemnestra' (Strauss' Elektra's harridan queen). Under Hickox she is more an Eboli or Amneris. Still unusual in sound for an oratorio mezzo, but definitely more maternal in sound. For comparison I played the second half of the second part back to back. Palmer/Hickox is still a redoubtable vocalist, but she didn't make my eyebrows shoot up and my jaw go slack at her forte interval leaps.
Much the same could be said of Davies' Gerontius. On both occasions his voice is insolently healthy for a dying old geezer, but it's even sweeter in sound under Hickox. I almost expected him to break into 'Ev'ry Valley' after his solos as The Soul. Under Svetlanov he is more declamatory, with a degree of defiance quite apparent - this Gerontius definitely indignant at the Priest's exhortation: 'Go forth upon thy journey, Christian soul! Go from this world !' Woooaaw, camel, not so fast ! That kind of resistance seems to have melted under Hickox' more enveloping conception of Gerontius' death watch.
Bass Gwynne Howell has a beautiful, rounded voice, fully equal to the demands of the role. Norman Bailey, a noted Wotan (their part as the Angel of Agony also heard twice in the comparison I made) sounds a bit more ample of tone, with a slightly freer delivery and more air around his noble tones. That's possibly a result of Chandos' more blended acoustic.
As for Hickox as chorus master AND orchestra conductor, I found him very attentive to the niceties of Elgar's special way with cadences (musical phrase ends), pauses, etc. The first faint intimation of the Judgment theme at 'the judgment is begun' in The Angel's duet with Gerontius 'My Work is Done' is a wonderful touch. That theme comes out clearly and ominously under Hickox, while it's less distinctly heard in the live Svetlanov. There are other places where I perceived a more even temperament at work on the podium. Svetlanov had discovered Elgar in Britain and was an ardent advocate. Communicating his discovery to his compatriots was probably his overriding goal when preparing and performing the work.
Between the two one may favour Hickox for his successful smoothing of Svetlanov's sharper edges and Chandos' better sound. Personally I wouldn't want to be without Svetlanov and his soloists' searing conception of the work. Oh, and the chorus: they are much more involved in Russia - men and women on a mission.
Thanks for the write-up,
@André. I do have one question: between Svetlanov, Hickox, Boult, Elder and Barbirolli, which performance of
Gerontius do you prefer?
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 !
Quote from: André on April 23, 2025, 07:14:03 AMAny 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.
Quote from: Der lächelnde Schatten on April 23, 2025, 07:22:33 AMAh, 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?
Quote from: relm1 on April 24, 2025, 05:28:00 AMI 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.
Quote from: Der lächelnde Schatten on April 24, 2025, 06:16:10 AMGood 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;
(https://i.discogs.com/q1OQW45WOjCH9jb99oyEzkmsHQBjrFPsGbqHmJSxuoY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:530/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0MzM5/NDUzLTE1NzM5MDIw/NjctOTMzOC5qcGVn.jpeg)
I rate Oramo in general but his Elgar is excellent (his BIS Stockholm Symphonies for example....)
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 24, 2025, 09:12:24 AM
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;
(https://i.discogs.com/q1OQW45WOjCH9jb99oyEzkmsHQBjrFPsGbqHmJSxuoY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:530/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0MzM5/NDUzLTE1NzM5MDIw/NjctOTMzOC5qcGVn.jpeg)
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.
Quote from: Der lächelnde Schatten on April 24, 2025, 10:58:30 AMThat 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.
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 24, 2025, 11:02:46 AMI 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.
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.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51j5w7g9J2L._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
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.
Quote from: André on June 20, 2025, 04:50:49 PM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51j5w7g9J2L._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
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.
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.
Quote from: Roasted Swan on June 21, 2025, 12:59:17 AMAn 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.