Benjamin britten scored a significant coup by using the choir of kings college, cambridge as the semi chorus when he recorded gerontius in 1971 and i wonder if sir mark elder had that precedent in mind. The dream of gerontius the complete text follow the text of edward elgar s the dream of gerontius, to text from the poem by cardinal john henry newman. The dream of gerontius sir edward elgar 18571934 the apostles peter, james and john, had been fishing all night, and they had caught nothing. The dream of gerontius synopsis the oratorio opens with an orchestral prelude laying out some of the themes that will take on special significance as the story unfolds. Complete your cardinal newman, edward elgar, richard lewis, marjorie thomas, john cameron, huddersfield choral society. Edward elgars the dream of gerontius is frequently regarded as his masterpiecea towering oratorio noted for its complex score and profound religious message. Heres your detailed guide to the awesomeness of elgars the dream of gerontius. The dream of gerontius is an 1865 poem written by st john henry newman consisting of the. The use of young voices, with their completely different timbre, results in a sharp and very telling contrast and i find the effect is.
Follow the text of edward elgars the dream of gerontius, to text from the poem by cardinal john henry newman. The theme of the poem is the dream of the dying gerontius of his souls passage to the unseen world. Based on a poem by john henry cardinal newman, it dispensed with the traditional admixture of recitatives, arias, and choruses, using instead a continuous musical texture as in the musical dramas of richard wagner. The first symphony, in particular, burns under a surface sheen, and the dream of gerontius is intensely played and firmly sung.
Tr24of edward elgar the dream of gerontius, sea pictures bbc symphony orchestra, sir andrew davis 2014 classical, choral hires stereo. It is a uniquely english work for all its heavily roman catholic origins, sources, imagery and purpose. Edward elgar s giant cantata the composer rejected the term oratorio the dream of gerontius, op. Sir edward elgar, huddersfield choral society, royal liverpool philharmonic orchestra, sir malcolm sargent the dream of gerontius, op. Cardinal newman, edward elgar, richard lewis 3, marjorie thomas, john cameron, huddersfield choral society, liverpool philharmonic orchestra, sir malcolm sargent the dream of gerontius album 10 versions. The dream of gerontius the complete text classic fm.
The dream of gerontius, poem by cardinal newman and set to music for mezzo soprano, tenor, and bass solos, chorus and orchestra, was first performed at the birmingham england festival of 1900. The dream of gerontius barbirolli janet baker, richard lewis, kim borg duration. The dream of gerontius simple english wikipedia, the. So it would have been fitting if the three arguably greatest soloists of their generation, mezzosoprano janet baker, tenor peter pears and bassbaritone john. A guide to why elgars the dream of gerontius is the most. Gerontius and german mysticism queens university belfast. On 8 may 1889 edward elgar married alice roberts at brompton oratory. Hailed as elgars finest choral composition, the dream of gerontius explores a souls journey from neardeath to the throne of judgement. The dream of gerontius edward elgar 18571934 the dream of gerontius, poem by cardinal newman and set to music for mezzo soprano, tenor, and bass solos, chorus and orchestra, was first performed at the birmingham england festival of 1900. New recording of elgars the dream of gerontius thomas.
Paul groves sings the part of gerontius more convincingly than any other tenor today, his control and range of. Elgars the dream of gerontius rising from the ashes. Everyone who loves elgar acclaims the dream of gerontius as a masterpiece. It is, quite simply, one of the greatest spiritual dramas ever written. That hope was inspired by the remarkable performance that they had given at the 2005 henry wood promenade concerts, which, as i commented at the time, made a great impression on me. I began listening to edward elgars dream of gerontius through the fine adrian boult recording done with nicolai gedda and for a while was unsure whether i liked the work, although i kept listening to it, which is always a good sign. Steuart wilson gerontius, margaret balfour angel, herbert heyner the priestthe angel of the agony, tudor davies gerontius, horace stevens the angel of the agony, yehudi menuhin violin, margaret balfour contralto, beatrice harrison cello, sir edward elgar piano. Tr24of edward elgar the dream of gerontius, sea pictures bbc symphony orchestra, sir andrew davis 2014 classical, choral. Other articles where the dream of gerontius is discussed. The original vocal score of gerontius was actually printed before elgars had even finalised or completed his final orchestration and as edward elgars the dream of gerontius is a splendid oratorio for mezzosoprano, tenor and bass with chorus and orchestra. Considered by many the greatest oratorio by an englishman as well as the most beautiful oratorio of the 20th century, the dream of gerontius sets to music a mystical poem by the catholic theologian and cardinal john henry newman about death and final judgment. It relates the journey of a pious mans soul from his deathbed to his judgment before god and settling into purgatory. Elgar, who was also a catholic, set the poem as a commission for the birmingham festival in 1900.
Cardinal newmans words are beyond atrocious as poetry, and i find their sadomasochistic doctrinal underpinning sickening o happy, suffering soul. Paul groves sings the part of gerontius more convincingly than any other tenor today, his control and range of colour and dynamic fitting elgars vocal lines. I know it now, not by the token of this faltering breath. The dream of gerontius by edward elgar, parry, richard hickox from amazons classical music store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. And it is to such that the berliner philharmoniker and conductor.
The dream of gerontius john barbirolli on allmusic 2008. The dream of gerontius, an album by edward elgar, halle, sir mark elder on spotify we and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. The dream of geron tius was composed in great grief after the death of a dear friend. Heres your detailed guide to the awesomeness of elgar s the dream of gerontius.
Files cleaned mar11 edward elgar dream of gerontius part 2. Our lord told them to let down their nets, and this they did. The theme of the poem is the dream of the dying gerontius of his souls passage to the unseen world, its reception by the angels, and the mysteries. Edward elgar was born at lower broadheath, on 2nd june 1857, within sight of the malvern hills and the tower of worcester. I began listening to edward elgar s dream of gerontius through the fine adrian boult recording done with nicolai gedda and for a while was unsure whether i liked the work, although i kept listening to it, which is always a good sign. A careful study of the dream of gerontius will show how musical it is, and how delicately the music of the verse changes with the themes. Elgar completed his masterpiece, the dream of gerontius, in 1900 and, despite some resistance from the anglican church around the catholic dogma of some parts of cardinal newmans text, elgars extraordinary work eventually came to be regarded as the greatest oratorio ever written by an englishman handel, after all, was german.
Outside of britain its heavy cardinal newman tale of a soul going through divine judgment, redolent of catholic theological detail even british anglicans demanded revisions, and. For it is safe, consumed, yet quickened by the glance of god. Elgar dream of gerontius by john quinn december 2007. Outside of britain its heavy cardinal newman tale of a soul going through divine judgment, redolent of catholic theological detail. Apr 11, 2017 elgars the dream of gerontius rising from the ashes posted on april 11, 2017 by scott chamberlain edward elgars the dream of gerontius is frequently regarded as his masterpiecea towering oratorio noted for its complex score and profound religious message. It is usually thought of as the best choral work elgar ever wrote. In its first part, a dying man experiences his very last moments. In the autograph score, elgar wrote the work represented the best of me, and countless listeners have agreed with him. Add this interview to your favourites you could almost talk of an elgar festival which took place in the berlin philharmonie and the digital concert hall in winter 201112. Edward elgars the dream of gerontius digital concert hall. Jan 14, 2012 as the bbc once said in the introduction to a concert, edward elgars oratorio the dream of gerontius is seen in great britain as a national monument. Among his bestknown compositions are orchestral works including the enigma variations, the pomp and circumstance marches, concertos for violin and cello, and two symphonies. In 1900 elgar was asked to write a piece for the birmingham triennial music festival.
Order from your preferred classical music cd store arkivmusic. Full text of the dream of gerontius internet archive. Sarah connolly, stuart skelton, david soar, bbc symphony chorus, bbc symphony orchestradavis. Buy elgar the dream of gerontius 2cd album online halle. The dream of gerontius by edward elgar, parry, richard. Simon halsey on edward elgars the dream of gerontius 16. Choral, oratorio edward elgar the dream of gerontius. Thereafter, elgar continued cutting newmans original 900 line poem down into the present libretto. Performed in concert at the berlin musikfest last year, hampson was hailed as rock solid by the financial times, and as filling the room with an angelic aura by kultur radio. Sir edward elgar, huddersfield choral society, royal liverpool philharmonic orchestra, sir malcolm sargent. The play also draws on some of the themes in dream of gerontius music by edward elgar. When simon peter saw him, he fell at the knees of jesus, saying, leave me, lord. Among the wedding presents he received was a copy of the poem, the dream of gerontius by john, cardinal newman 18011890, which was given to him by the parish priest of the catholic church in worcester where elgar had been the organist. Your pdf proof file has been enabled so that you can edit the proof directly using.
Jan 14, 2012 simon halsey on edward elgars the dream of gerontius 16 min. Elgar dream of gerontius vinyl records, lp, cd on cdandlp. Some personal observations on recordings of the work. Elgars the dream of gerontius is a cornerstone of the great english choral romantic period repertoire it was completed in 1900. Jesu, maria i am near to death, and thou art calling me.
As the bbc once said in the introduction to a concert, edward elgars oratorio the dream of gerontius is seen in great britain as a national monument. It is an oratorio, although elgar did not like it being called an oratorio, but this is how it is usually described. Sir edward elgar 18571934 the dream of gerontius, op. Text by john henry newman wesley rogers, tenor gerontius soul of gerontius kendall gladen, mezzosoprano angel kevin deas, bass. Elgar the dream of gerontius, an album by edward elgar, sir john barbirolli on spotify we and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. The dream of gerontius is a large musical work for choir, three solo singers and orchestra composed by edward elgar. And because he was the sort of person who enjoyed a challenge, he decided to write a piece about life, death and what comes afterwards. Simon halsey on edward elgars the dream of gerontius 16 min. Edward elgars giant cantata the composer rejected the term oratorio the dream of gerontius, op.
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