Prom 37 (10.8.12): Elgar – The Apostles

[An_Inspector_Calls]

I first heard The Apostles at the Three Choirs Festival, Hereford 1973. Wendy Eathorne, Marjorie Thomas, Alexander Young, John Carol Case, David Thomas, RPO, Richard Lloyd. Needless to say, it wasn't bad!

Last night's performance was very good indeed. I especially liked the portrayal of Mary Magdalene sung by Alice Coote. I hadn't appreciated how interesting a character Elgar had created in her, and how well her portrait balances that of Judas in part 2.

Very well recorded on the HD stream which has really shown its worth this year.

And next week VW 4,5, and 6 in one Prom!

[rank_and_file]

A_I_Calls

I should have listened on the HD stream as, of course, the FM broadcast was emasculated by the wretched Optimod system. Very hard to comment on how Mark Elder handled the finer dynamics and balance - speeds seemed fine.

I sat down with the libretto from the Boult CD but this was hardly needed as I thought the diction of choirs and soloists was exemplary - with the single exception of Alice Coote. I remember hearing her in her debut of the part at the RFH about 10 (?) years ago when she was excellent in every respect. Funnily enough, I thought she was trying too hard last night and consonants were often swallowed or not enunciated well enough. Still, more of an observation than a reservation.

As others have touched on, Boult did indeed prefer “The Kingdom” to other Elgar oratorios and “The Apostles” is the weakest of the three, albeit containing patches of glorious music.

[Simon B]

“The Apostles” is the weakest of the three, albeit containing patches of glorious music.

Reluctantly, I would agree with this - but specifically both points. Rather like some of Elgar's other sometimes-maligned major works (e.g. the Music Makers, in which all the self-quotations are a virtue rather than a weakness IMO) you can hear the level of inspiration drifting in and out a bit.

However, my enduring appreciation of The Apostles is attributable, I think, to those moments, those "patches of glorious music". Yes, rather much of it seems just a little too discursive, but when those moments come... Principally it's the great choral outbursts and moments of glorious and singularly sumptuous and original orchestration that compensate for the drier passages.

If anything, last night's performance made even more of these than the earlier Manchester one. The RAH organ, as always, made an incomparable contribution to the grandest and most rareified moments... Elder encouraged The Hallé brass and percussion, often rather restrained to my taste, to some spectacularly grand and powerful playing. The choral contributions were magnificent throughout, the odd imprecision here and there not really mattering. Conviction always triumphs over accuracy (within reason) for me...

This does all suggest that I'm receiving the work at the level of enjoying the noise it makes rather than anything more profound, and that may be true. Perhaps that's why in some regards I prefer The Kingdom and The Apostles to Gerontius - in which the dramatic (for want of a more appropriate word) narrative focus on an individual provides the more compelling interest that many find lacking in the other oratorios.

Anyway, last night's performance was as good as you will hear of this piece (at least live, I have no idea how it came across on broadcasts) and by some margin the most affecting of the 6 Proms I've been to so far this year. If this performance didn't convince you, I suspect that no other is likely to.

[VodkaDilc]

Anyway, last night's performance was as good as you will hear of this piece (at least live, I have no idea how it came across on broadcasts) and by some margin the most affecting of the 6 Proms I've been to so far this year. If this performance didn't convince you, I suspect that no other is likely to.

I know there is probably no hope for me, but, of the two live Proms I've attended so far, I enjoyed the Bernstein Mass more than The Apostles!! And I write as a life-long Elgar enthusiast.
(And now I'm really looking forward to my next one - The Leningrad Symphony. I'm afraid my vulgarity has no bounds.)

[Resurrection Man]

I concur with much that has been said. Thoroughly enjoyable evening. All performers were superb I thought with the exception of Paul Groves who I thought sounded a little thin at times. The very charming young lady who is studying maths at Cambridge, plays the saxophone and organ (!!) thought that Alice Coote was a bit behind the beat at times but I couldn't hear it. I'd not heard Jacques Imbrailo before. Gorgeous voice. The diction of the choir excellent.

But did anyone else think of the lookalikes of two of the soloists - Windsor Davies and Eddie Jordan?

[Stephen Smith]

I also have a great affection for The Apostles, and I think the performers last night were the best possible advocates for it, Elder especially - although Coote, Bayley and Imbraiglo received particular appreciation for their very committed contributions ( I do like Imbrailo - his Billy Budd was magnificent and I do hope he is cast again next year at Glyndebourne). And a similarly David Kempster as an authoritative St Peter.
The choirs produced a very good, solid sound (apart from the occasional flatness from the Sops, which seems ubiquitos. There were sublime moments, with Elder producing very soft and moulded sounds where necessary (he turned to the Prom and "shush(ed)" them before he was willing to start (which caused the departure of one Prommer) which was of course very soft.
For all that I greatly enjoy any performance of The Apostles (in fact a preformance was a catalyst for joining a choir -as was The Kingdom) I have to say that it isn't as great (unified, taut) as The Kingdom - as Boult judged. There were moments where I felt I was feeling Elgar changing gear - in a rather clunky fashion - for example the fortissimo passage the last one, at the end. This doesn't happen in Gerontius or Kingdom (not to my ears anyway).
However, despite these reservations I would aslways want to hear The Apostles live when it is performed and the new recording will be a welcome addition to the Boult, particularly with these performers (never felt Hickox scaled the heights in his recordings). In the last 5-6-7 years there have been more performances of the The Apostles and The Kingdom, which is very pleasing as they don't deserve neglect. (In the same vein - I'm looking forward to The Pilgrim's Progress at ENO in November!)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This is a very hazy memory, but there were excerpts from The Apostles in a recent Elgar TV documentary. I believe we saw parts of a performance conducted by Ed Gardner (I think) in which Crispian Steele-Perkins (I think) played a more traditional-looking shofar. It also made a more impressive sound than last night's offering.

C S-P first played a real Shofar in this work back in 1983 with the North-East London Polytechnic Chorus, conducted by Michael Kibblewhite in Harlow Sports Centre. The Tenor solo was Ian Partridge whose top note on the phrase "And when it was day" rings in my memory to this day. (Good choir, too, with a particularly fine back row of Basses!)

Edit: Dear lord, I've just realized! That was nearly thirty years ago!!!

[Petrushka]

Reluctantly, I would agree with this - but specifically both points. Rather like some of Elgar's other sometimes-maligned major works (e.g. the Music Makers, in which all the self-quotations are a virtue rather than a weakness IMO) you can hear the level of inspiration drifting in and out a bit.

However, my enduring appreciation of The Apostles is attributable, I think, to those moments, those "patches of glorious music". Yes, rather much of it seems just a little too discursive, but when those moments come... Principally it's the great choral outbursts and moments of glorious and singularly sumptuous and original orchestration that compensate for the drier passages.

If anything, last night's performance made even more of these than the earlier Manchester one. The RAH organ, as always, made an incomparable contribution to the grandest and most rareified moments... Elder encouraged The Hallé brass and percussion, often rather restrained to my taste, to some spectacularly grand and powerful playing. The choral contributions were magnificent throughout, the odd imprecision here and there not really mattering. Conviction always triumphs over accuracy (within reason) for me...

This does all suggest that I'm receiving the work at the level of enjoying the noise it makes rather than anything more profound, and that may be true. Perhaps that's why in some regards I prefer The Kingdom and The Apostles to Gerontius - in which the dramatic (for want of a more appropriate word) narrative focus on an individual provides the more compelling interest that many find lacking in the other oratorios.

Anyway, last night's performance was as good as you will hear of this piece (at least live, I have no idea how it came across on broadcasts) and by some margin the most affecting of the 6 Proms I've been to so far this year. If this performance didn't convince you, I suspect that no other is likely to.

I really can't add anything more to this fine post as I completely agree with it. First time I've heard it live and one I won't forget.

[BassOne83]

The disturbance at the start was most unfortunate, coming just as several hundred highly rehearsed musicians were poised to offer the result of their endeavours. Has anyone any idea what the problem was, and how he came to leave the auditorium?

[VodkaDilc]

The disturbance at the start was most unfortunate, coming just as several hundred highly rehearsed musicians were poised to offer the result of their endeavours. Has anyone any idea what the problem was, and how he came to leave the auditorium?

My impression was that the noise was coming from those in the Boxes, who probably valued their champagne more than the forthcoming music. Was the person who left directly involved? Perhaps he felt poorly. It was certainly a hot evening: St Peter made frequent use of his bottle of colourless liquid - and one amply-built member of the Brass section was using a hanky, Pavarotti-style, before the music even began.

The dress-code was interesting: male singers, even soloists, in open-necked black shirts, but Orchestra in their full gear. Any ideas about the seeming discrepancy?

[Petrushka]

My impression was that the noise was coming from those in the Boxes, who probably valued their champagne more than the forthcoming music. Was the person who left directly involved? Perhaps he felt poorly. It was certainly a hot evening: St Peter made frequent use of his bottle of colourless liquid - and one amply-built member of the Brass section was using a hanky, Pavarotti-style, before the music even began.

The dress-code was interesting: male singers, even soloists, in open-necked black shirts, but Orchestra in their full gear. Any ideas about the seeming discrepancy?

From my seat in 'O' stalls, I could see that Elder seemed to be looking towards the boxes at around 10 o'clock as you look from the stage. No idea what the disturbance was but there was an even worse one when a door slammed just as the second part began. Very unfortunate.

[David Underdown]

From my position toward the front left of the Arena I could hear someone talking just as Elder wished to start. I've subsequently been told that it was someone taking a mobile phone call! (and it was he who was persuaded to leave and continue it elsewhere)

[dalesider]

Review copies of the Halle recording of the Manchester performance appear to be circulating. Cast identical to the Prom apart from Clive Bayley - Brindley Sherratt on the CD

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Aug12/Elgar_Apostles_HLD7534.htm

[french frank]

Thanks for the link, dalesider (and welcome to the forum, too!).

[Resurrection Man]

Many thanks for that link, dalesider. I feel my wallet being prised open!