Dream of Gerontius: LPO Edward Gardner

[Mr Pee]

I intend to listen to it tonight for 2 reasons.

1. It has singing in it
2. It's by Elgar

[Mr Pee]

Not only is Mr. Gardner clearly a highly talented musician with a great future ahead of him, he's also managed to bag the vision of loveliness that is Alison Balsom.





Not that I'm jealous or anything......

[Ventilhorn]

I intend to listen to it tonight for 2 reasons.

1. It has singing in it
2. It's by Elgar

I played this work in 1959 with soloists Heddle Nash and Gladys Ripley (I can't remember the baritone) and was so moved by it that I have avoided hearing it sung by others until this day.

I am absolutely gobsmacked by this performance; just as I was those many years ago. Needless to say, this is being recorded on my systems at this very moment and I know that I will treasure this performance as much as I did another more than half a century ago.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I played this work in 1959 with soloists Heddle Nash and Gladys Ripley (I can't remember the baritone) ...

Wow! I listened to Part 1, but I'll listen to the rest later, having recorded the whole work.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

She was only 47.

[Ventilhorn]

forgive me, I have Gladys Ripley dying in 1955

My error. (Memory plays tricks these days). It was in fact at a performance in Folkstone so it must have been 1949. I was in the company of my dear friend, the late Charles Farncombe, so I would have still been a student at the RAM.

[Nick Armstrong]

Not only is Mr. Gardner clearly a highly talented musician with a great future ahead of him, he's also managed to bag the vision of loveliness that is Alison Balsom.

[IMG]http://www.tokafi.com/static/2008/09/alison-balsom-shines-haydn-hummel-trumpet-concertos-Alison_Balsom_Haydn_Hummel_Trumpet_EMI.jpg[/IMG


Not that I'm jealous or anything......

[mercia]

You are doing very well sir, to remember that far back
(Reply to #23)

[Ventilhorn]

That far back is easy, mercia. It's remembering whether you've had lunch which is difficult when you get older. I remember the Crystal Palace burning down in 1936 and I was only 3 years old at the time!

[Petrushka]

That dratted 7pm start! I just hope this is on the i-player.

[Bryn]

That dratted 7pm start! I just hope this is on the i-player.

It was very good on the iPlayer in HD Sound. They judged the head room nicely for once. It peaked at around -1.5dB.

[salymap]

The best performance of Gerontius that I have heard for years. I wish I had recorded it. I have the Sargent 1945 [Heddle Nash] and 1954 [Richard Lewis], a tape of Rattle and recently bought the Barbirolli with Janet Baker.

I love it but it's not a work to listen to too often I feel. Thanks to all the performers.

[austin]

This was, without doubt, the best live performance I have ever heard. Thank goodness for Total Recorder!

[amateur51]

This was, without doubt, the best live performance I have ever heard. Thank goodness for Total Recorder!

Yay austin! Good to hear from another Total Recorder user

I agree it was a very fine performance. The choral singing and orchestral playing were first class and my only anything-like-disappointment was in Gerontius himself and that's because I am over-familiar with Heddle Nash's recording with Sargent - for me Nash IS Gerontius.

The other singers were very good and I thought that the entire performance was very fine. What a 'Praise To The Holiest!'!!

Like salymap, I don't think that I want to hear Gerontius again for quite a while - which is a testament to how good this performance was

[salymap]

Am51, i was saying to someone this morning, my only small quibble was like yours. Heddle Nash brought such pathos to Gerontius's opening passages that it is hard to listen to 'Jesu, Maria, I am near to death' sung in a strong full tenor voice, however good the singer.
Incidentally, Heddle Nash is buried in a churchyard in Chislehurst, near me and has a quotation from Gerontius, 'I went to sleep' on his gravestone. Still yesterday's performance was wonderful.