Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38

Listen on Presto Music. Free thirty day trial. Find out more.

An interesting addition to the discography of The Dream of Gerontius. It’s also a valuable document, illustrating an unexpected side to this Russian conductor who could be volatile but, at his... — MusicWeb International, February 2015 More…

Release Date: 2nd Feb 2015
Catalogue No: MELCD1002266
Label: Melodiya
Length: 95 minutes

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part I: I. Prelude

Work length11:09

$2.05

$2.55

Oleg Yanchenko, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part I: II. Jesu, Maria – I Am Near to Death

Work length5:47

$1.00

$1.25

Arthur Davies, London Symphony Chorus, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part I: III. Rouse Thee, My Fainting Soul

Work length6:53

$1.00

$1.25

Arthur Davies, London Symphony Chorus, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part I: IV. Sanctus Fortis, Sanctus Deus

Work length6:17

$1.00

$1.25

Arthur Davies, London Symphony Chorus, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part I: V. Proficiscere, Anima Christiana

Work length6:48

$1.00

$1.25

Norman Bailey, London Symphony Chorus, Oleg Yanchenko, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part II: I. I Went to Sleep

Work length9:02

$1.50

$1.90

Arthur Davies, Felicity Palmer, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part II: II. It Is a Member of That Family

Work length5:32

$1.00

$1.25

Arthur Davies, Felicity Palmer, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part II: III. But Hark! Upon My Sense Comes a Fierce Hubbub

Work length5:08

$1.00

$1.25

Arthur Davies, Felicity Palmer, London Symphony Chorus, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part II: IV. I See Not Those False Spirits

Work length8:03

$1.50

$1.90

Arthur Davies, Felicity Palmer, London Symphony Chorus, Oleg Yanchenko, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part II: V. But Hark! A Grand Mysterious Harmony

Work length8:26

$1.50

$1.90

Arthur Davies, Felicity Palmer, London Symphony Chorus, Oleg Yanchenko, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part II: VI. Thy Judgment Now Is Near

Work length7:18

$1.50

$1.90

Arthur Davies, Felicity Palmer, Norman Bailey, Oleg Yanchenko, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part II: VII. I Go Before My Judge

Work length6:48

$1.00

$1.25

Arthur Davies, Felicity Palmer, London Symphony Chorus, Oleg Yanchenko, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Part II: VIII. Softly and Gently, Dearly-Ransomed Soul

Work length8:19

$1.50

$1.90

Felicity Palmer, London Symphony Chorus, Oleg Yanchenko, Evgeny Svetlanov, USSR State Symphony Orchestra

About
Reviews
Explore

About

Edward Elgar was one of the major representatives of British music from the period of English music renaissance. Continuing the traditions of European, primarily German musical romanticism, he embodied the most distinctive features of national culture in his works. Elgar’s genius manifested itself in a most complete fashion in symphonic and choral genres.

The Dream of Gerontius (1900), often referred to as an oratorio, is Elgar’s largest composition. The poem by Cardinal John Henry Newman, an important figure in the Church of England, thinker and poet, about a journey of a soul after death was a literary foundation of the oratorio. A deeply spiritual and religious content of the oratorio, plenty of dramatic and vivid episodes, a developed vocal and choral texture, and masterful grasp of orchestral colours made it one of the most popular works of British music along with Handel’s Messiah.

Evgeny Svetlanov, who is traditionally considered an unsurpassed performer of Russian symphonic and operatic music, not infrequently made himself known as an outstanding and inspired interpreter of West European music works. Thanks to him, some of them were performed in the former USSR for the first time. That was the case with The Dream of Gerontius, which the conductor heard in England and was amazed by its power and grandeur. It was performed with great success at the Big Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in 1983 with the participation of well-known British soloists Felicity Palmer, Arthur Davies and Norman Bailey, the London Symphony Chorus conducted by Richard Hickox and the USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov.

We present a recording of that performance.

Reviews

February 2015

An interesting addition to the discography of The Dream of Gerontius. It’s also a valuable document, illustrating an unexpected side to this Russian conductor who could be volatile but, at his best, inspirational

22nd February 2015

a powerful Gerontius, with fine British chorus and soloists...but a Russian orchestra, conducted with passionate conviction. Svetlanov and his players show thorough understanding of what Michael Kennedy calls Elgar’s masterly melodic speech rhythm, and the music flows.

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38

Downloads

Contents

Download queue