BaL 9.12.17 - Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius

[Cockney Sparrow]

Gerontius will be performed in Rome today. Apparently, the last performance was by Barbirolli.

This one originates from UK performances at the time of canonisation of Newman in 2019, then delayed in Rome because of COVID.

http://parliamentchoir.org.uk

[CallMePaul]

Elder's recording is new to me and is up there with Barbirolli and Britten.

I see that Eldar will be conducting this in Manchester in early June with Michael Spyres in the title role. I'll be there, God and partner willing!

[seabright]

If you're interested in hearing a non-British performance of the work, here is one given by the University of California Davis Symphony Orchestra, Davis being the name of the city there, with choruses from the University itself and from the Sacramento Opera. The forces are predominantly youthful and the conductor is no slouch when it comes to some of the tempos. Still, it's nice to know that "Gerontius" is being performed in California, as it can't have been all that familiar either to the singers or the audience ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bg52cVVmTc&t=54s

[Barbirollians]

Pleased to find the winner available for £1.46 today

[smittims]

Well done; that's only slightly more than the price of two pints of milk around here! I paid £1.35 at Tesco this morning.

[Barbirollians]

The winner is very fine I think especially Anthony Rolfe Johnson’s immensely moving account of Gerontius. Appalling as it is for me to say it I rather prefer Gerontius understated as with Sargent than in the much more dramatic Barbirolli style ( Baker apart of course )

[smittims]

I agree, and so did the editors of the Penguin guide to bargain records, who found a spirituality in the Columbia recording lacking in the Barbirolli. I especially like Marjorie Thomas' performance . Alec Robertson called her 'A Rossetti rather than a Rubens Angel' .


That said, I think Elgar would have enjoyed the Barbirolli recording, if one compares it with the surviving extracts from his own performances. The Demons' chorus, for instance is surely much more vivid than in the Sargent recording, though of course the more modern stereo sound helps.

[seabright]

There are four excerpts from the Soviet premiere under Svetlanov on YouTube, with the USSR SO and British artists flown in specially for the occasion in Moscow in 1983. Svetlanov had heard Sargent conduct the work in the RAH and was determined to play it in Russia. It was recorded live by Melodya, as follows ...

Prelude ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKBLhzxxgBc

"Sanctus fortis ..." ... Arthur Davies, tenor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dGsrozdyow

"Proficiscere ..." ... Norman Bailey, baritone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uKOX0Q3yhk

"Angel's Farewell .." ... Felicity Palmer, mezzo-soprano ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pql5mIqXfBM

For me, she has a worryingly wide vibrato which I find bothersome. Otherwise, Svetlanov gives an interesting performance throughout, though not without some rather slow speeds, which as far as I know has never been played on Radio 3.

[gradus]

There are four excerpts from the Soviet premiere under Svetlanov on YouTube, with the USSR SO and British artists flown in specially for the occasion in Moscow in 1983. Svetlanov had heard Sargent conduct the work in the RAH and was determined to play it in Russia. It was recorded live by Melodya, as follows ...

Prelude ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKBLhzxxgBc

"Sanctus fortis ..." ... Arthur Davies, tenor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dGsrozdyow

"Proficiscere ..." ... Norman Bailey, baritone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uKOX0Q3yhk

"Angel's Farewell .." ... Felicity Palmer, mezzo-soprano ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pql5mIqXfBM

For me, she has a worryingly wide vibrato which I find bothersome. Otherwise, Svetlanov gives an interesting performance throughout, though not without some rather slow speeds, which as far as I know has never been played on Radio 3.

Thanks for posting the excerpts, I had no idea the recording existed.

[mopsus]

Gerontius will be performed in Rome today. Apparently, the last performance was by Barbirolli.

This one originates from UK performances at the time of canonisation of Newman in 2019, then delayed in Rome because of COVID.

http://parliamentchoir.org.uk

I sang in this Rome performance. We were told that Barbirolli's was part 1 only, and there is no evidence of any other partial or complete performance in Italy. (I imagine there aren't many concert performances of large choral works in Italy - people go to the opera instead)

[seabright]

I sang in this Rome performance. We were told that Barbirolli's was part 1 only, and there is no evidence of any other partial or complete performance in Italy. (I imagine there aren't many concert performances of large choral works in Italy - people go to the opera instead)

I'm not sure how many times Barbirolli performed "Gerontius" in Italy but my 2-CD 'Arkadia' set (2 CDHP 584) features the complete work performed on 20 November 1957 with the Orchestra Sinfonica e coro di Roma delle RAI. The soloists were Jon Vickers, Constance Shacklock and Marian Nowakowski. The work is naturally sung in English but the Italian chorus doesn't have that 'churchy' aspect we usually get but instead has the feel of "Aida" which I think is all to the good, since the whole work does have a certain operatic quality. You can hear what I mean by clicking this link and hearing the wonderful Jon Vickers in "Sanctus, fortis" ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asxrWBVnfrs

Comments under this excerpt include: "No-one could do this better" and "Absolutely magnificent."

[gradus]

I'm not sure how many times Barbirolli performed "Gerontius" in Italy but my 2-CD 'Arkadia' set (2 CDHP 584) features the complete work performed on 20 November 1957 with the Orchestra Sinfonica e coro di Roma delle RAI. The soloists were Jon Vickers, Constance Shacklock and Marian Nowakowski. The work is naturally sung in English but the Italian chorus doesn't have that 'churchy' aspect we usually get but instead has the feel of "Aida" which I think is all to the good, since the whole work does have a certain operatic quality. You can hear what I mean by clicking this link and hearing the wonderful Jon Vickers in "Sanctus, fortis" ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asxrWBVnfrs

Comments under this excerpt include: "No-one could do this better" and "Absolutely magnificent."

How I wish I'd heard Vickers sing this live; a wonderful gripping performance.

[CallMePaul]

I see that Eldar will be conducting this in Manchester in early June with Michael Spyres in the title role. I'll be there, God and partner willing!

Sadly, partner unwilling! Tashi Lhungpo Monks in Leeds on Saturday instead. Still, should be good!

[seabright]

How I wish I'd heard Vickers sing this live; a wonderful gripping performance.

I've since found the complete Barbirolli / Vickers / Rome 1957 recording on YouTube so here's the link ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaa3F_oboLw

[Nimrod]

I've since found the complete Barbirolli / Vickers / Rome 1957 recording on YouTube so here's the link ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaa3F_oboLw

This performance is available on CD from The Barbirolli Society SJB 1105-06. Jon Vickers is wonderful as Gerontius and Shacklock very fine, too. Barbirolli gets full commitment from the orchestra and chorus. He also conducted this work in New York, available on a Somm CD set with Maureen Forrester giving a glorious performance as the Angel. Apparently the Carnegie Hall was sold out for all four performances (!). I struggle to imagine that a run of 4 performances of this work today that would be a sell-out. I wonder if Pappano has got this work in his sights?