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14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
The best singer of "Gerontius" Mar 19, 2001
This is the second recording of this work I have in my possession, the other being the Britten version, and I have also heard the Barbirolli one. This one is undoubtedly my favourite, if not specifically for the interpretation (as in a way I prefer Britten for reasons mentioned below), then certainly for the soloists. Peter Pears has his fans but I am definitely not one of them. His harsh tone and strained high notes are very off-putting. Neither do I think Richard Lewis is ideal for the role of Gerontius, his voice being a little bit too clean and English for this music. Admittedly Elgar was about as English as you could get in terms of his music, but reading about Boults comments on Elgar's intentions, as well as taking into account the Catholic roots of this piece, so far removed from all things Anglican, it is clear that a more operatic tenor is called for. Nicolai Gedda is the perfect choice- a very fine operatic tenor with excellent English. As for the other soloists, Kim Borg on the Barbirolli recording makes a few strange noises with the words, John Shirley-Quirk has a slightly woolly tone, but Robert Lloyd has it all- a fantastic voice and no problems with the language. My only complaint would be that occasionally he disrupts the line of the music too much, punching out certain words for emphasis. The mezzo soloist is less clear cut. Baker is regarded as perhaps the best of them all and this is probably true. Watts is very solid but I was very disappointed at her missing out of the top A, one of the great climaxes of the piece in my opinion. And Minton has a very fine dark voice, but occasionally has a problem with flatness.So overall I would say this is the best recording for the soloists, as I do not like listening to either Lewis or Pears. The interpretation is a matter of taste. My only problem with Boult is that occasionally (as in the end of the first bass solo with the priest and attendants) he tries to draw out the phrases so much that the singers find it hard to sustain, whereas Britten keeps the line sustained to the end of every phrase and beyond, making for more continuity. Also there is a point near the end of the piece where some of the players seem to lose sight of the beat and there is a lack of ensemble. However, I would still go for this one above the others for the overall performance.
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Janet Baker at her Best! Oct 12, 2000
Having already acquired a number of recordings of the Dream, I wanted this recording because of The Music Makers. This is truly a wonderful elegaic work. Barbirolli told Janet Baker to "sing it as though you're dreaming." She does, and the effect is very moving. The Gerontius under Boult is very good and Helen Watts is a lovely Angel (even though she doesn't go for the top A). My one small gripe with the recording is Gedda. I much admire him but his English is not accented and this affects my enjoyment. Robert Lloyd makes a great Priest and Angel of the Agony.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Boult's Gerontius Apr 21, 2000
Alongside Sir John Barbirolli's recording of this music, this is the greatest Gerontius yet committed to disk. I would not want to be without either performance, and each is equally great in its own way. Where Barbirolli stresses a dramatic, almost operatic approach to the work, Boult opts for a grand, majestic, oratorio style, without degenerating into pomposity or stuffiness. There is a tremendous grandeur, and a monumental feel, to the entire performance. Gedda seems like an odd choice for Gerontius, but his English is free of any accent, and he brings all the commitment and fervor we came to expect from him. Watts is not the equal of Barbirolli's mezzo, Janet Baker, but she sings in many ways beyond her stature, sounding truly great at times. Lloyd is my favorite singer for the role of the Priest/Angel. Choral work is highly polished, and in the Demons chorus Boult really lets them open up. Recorded sound is first rate. The Music Makers is a lesser work, but well worth hearing. The sound is a bit dated (earlier than Gerontius), and the chorus not quite as polished. But Baker is outstanding (as always) and there are few recordings of this piece. Indispensible for any Elgarian.
20 of 20 found the following review helpful:
glorious gerontius Mar 09, 1999
EMI recorded Gerontius under Boult very near the end of the conductor's active career. He had known Elgar (they first met around 1903) and was very highly thought of by the composer, who is on record as believing that the future of his music was safe in Boult's hands. Gerontius is a wonderful piece, and this is the magical, historic performance that everyone hoped it would be. Boult's great gift was in seeing a work whole, the entire architecture, and that is exactly what happens here, but in addition there are thrilling moments - the hair-raising demons' chorus, the tremendous 'Praise to the Holiest' and the shattering crash when Gerontius sees the face of God - and the most beautiful lyrical phrasing in the gentler orchestral bits. The choice of Nicolai Gedda as Gerontius was inspired, and his beautiful ringing tenor is just right ; Helen Watts is idiomatic and reliable (though not as exciting as Janet Baker in the Barbirolli version) and Robert Lloyd is first-rate. This is probably the best 'Gerontius' on disc. It is uniquely authoritative, works excellently in the details and as a whole, and is unwaveringly beautiful to listen to. 'The Music Makers', a lesser work (which DOES, however, have the unrivalled Janet Baker), is enjoyable and idiomatic too, and useful bonus, but 'Gerontius' is what this set is all about.
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