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Elgar from America – Volume 3. Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) : Introduction and Allegro for string quartet and string orchestraop. 47 ; Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf, cantata op. 30: two choirs; The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio op. 38. Richard Lewis, tenor; Maureen Forrester, contralto; Morley Meredith, bass-baritone. John Corigliano, Leopold Rybb, violin; William Lincer, viola; Laszlo Varga, cello; Alexander Schreiner, organ. Mormon Tabernacle Choir, conductor: J. Spencer Cornwall. The Westminster Choir (choir conductor: Warren Martin). New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, conductor: Sir John Barbirolli. Recorded 1953 and 1956 at the Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah; live on January 3 and 25, 1959 at Carnegie Hall, New York. 2022 edition. English libretto and transfers by Lani Spahr. 1 double CD SOMM “Ariadne” series ARIADNE 5015-2.
Apart from the two choirs of Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf op. 30 at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, resulting from microgrooves of the American Columbia, and which find here their first transfer in CD, theIntroduction & Allegro op. 47 et The Dream of Gerontius op. 38 by Edward Elgar by Sir John Barbirolli (1899-1970) recorded live in January 1959 in New York and which make up the bulk of this double CD, had already seen an earlier release in 2010 on the apparently defunct Canadian label West Hill Radio Archive (WHRA-6033), titled Barbirolli in New York – From January 1959 public performances previously unissued.
A comparison between the two editions gives a clear advantage to the realization under heading thanks to the improved reports of Lani Spahr (also the author of the exhaustive notes of the booklet) who, contrary to the WHRA edition, respected the radiophonic announcement of the Dream of Gerontiusand eradicated most of the sizzle originally present, making listening to this recording virtually as engaging as Barbirolli’s famous 1964 EMI/Warner etching.
In 1938, at the start of his New York mandate, the young and courageous John Barbirolli received the heavy task of succeeding the immense Toscanini to whom he was inevitably compared, composing both with his legend and his overwhelming personality. He bequeathed to us between 1938 and 1942 brilliant Columbia and RCA Victor engravings conveniently collected in a small box of 6 Sony CDs (19075988382). However, the radio recordings here present were made then as a musician in full mastery of his art, during his triumphant return to the Big Apple in January 1959.
Alongside Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), Edward Elgar (1857-1934) is certainly John Barbirolli’s favorite English composer, and it seems that theIntroduction and Allegro for Strings op. 47 (1905) by Elgar was Sir John’s favorite signature work, since after his very first 78rpm recording in January 1927 for the National Gramophonic Society, there followed no less than five commercial recordings for EMI/PYE/Warner in January 1929, May 1947, September 1953, December 1956 and May 1962. The live version he offered us on January 3, 1959 with the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra -as it was then called- has nothing to do with them. envy, so much the disciplined strings of the orchestra exalt with warmth and precision sometimes the great lyrical flights, sometimes the moments of pure tenderness of the work, a kind of modern concerto grosso whose concertino is here a string quartet, brilliantly guided by legendary concertmaster John Corigliano (1901-1975), father of the American composer of the same name.
The Dream of Gerontius (The Dream of Gerontius), oratorio op. 38 (1900) for mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, choir and orchestra, after a poem by Crdinal John Newman (1801-1890), relates the spiritual journey of an old man during his passage from life to death . This is not Elgar’s first attempt in the field of oratorio, since he already had in his catalog The Light of Life (Light of Christ) op. 29 (1896); otherwise The Dream of Gerontius will be followed by two other oratorios which, in a way, prolong it: The Apostles op. 49 (1903) et The Kingdom op. 51 (1906). Only Sir Adrian Boult (EMI/Warner) and Richard Hickox (Chandos) seem to have recorded the entire triptych so far.
Which is hardly a reason to overlook John Barbirolli in his EMI/Warner studio etching of the Dream of Gerontius in 1964, because it has many advantages, including the presence of the tenor Richard Lewis as Gerontius and his soul (roles he already played in the second engraving by Sir Malcolm Sargent in 1954), those of the admirable contralto Janet Baker as the Angel, and the Finnish hieratic bass Kim Borg as Priest and Angel of Agony. Sir John’s direction, both instinctive and inspired, is perhaps the most accomplished of all those in the studio… But!… But it seems that he has outdone himself in this version live electrifying where, on the afternoon of January 25, 1959, he galvanized his New York musicians at Carnegie Hall. Richard Lewis, definitely one of the most acclaimed Gerontiuses of his generation, has a more assured voice than in 1964, similar to that he had in 1954 with Sir Malcolm Sargent; the contralto Maureen Forrester manages at least to match Janet Baker in the role of the Angel by her warm musicality and a great understanding of the style and the spirit of the work; if the voice of the bass-baritone Morley Meredith who embodies the Priest and the Angel of Agony is particularly moving and less overwhelming than that of Kim Borg, his tendency to take certain notes from below the intonation (tick that often found in bad bel canto singers to force the expression) is regrettable and can annoy the listener…
Between these two works of obvious importance by Elgar, this edition, for good measure, introduces the two best-known short choruses of the Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf, cantata op. 30 of 1896 relatively less performed in its entirety – there are complete versions on CD by the late Vernon Handley (1930-2008) at EMI/Warner and Andrew Davis at Chandos. They could only be interpreted in a grand way by this monumental and disciplined formation that is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir of Salt Lake City, under the sensitive baton of Joseph Spencer Cornwall (1888-1983) who directed the choir from 1935 to 1957. .
All in all, then, here is one of the most desirable Elgar programs in very high-level historical versions to cherish.
Sound: 8 for a history – Booklet in English: 9 – Repertoire: 9 – Interpretation: 9
Michael Tibbaut
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