Reviews: Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius
King Durkee, "Strictly Classical" Copley News Service (April 15. 1987)
The MHS Review 387 Vol. 11 No.9, 1987
.. .I find it shocking that there currently is no listing in Schwann of The Dream of Gerontius. And this makes all the more significant the offering of the Musical Heritage Society. The reading simply couldn't be improved upon. Sir Adrian Boult was for me the greatest of all the great English conductors. His mastery of Gerontius is absolute. The singers, both the soloists and the choruses, are first rate. The sound of MHS is very good. The original of this recording was issued in 1976 by EMI. I simply cannot recommend too highly this fine reissue by MHS.
I do have one reservation: The recording does not come with a text. And this is too bad. It would be a pity to hear Gerontius without giving a careful reading to the text. A reading of Cardinal Newman's poem will help. Better yet, try to obtain the text elsewhere.
.. .I find it shocking that there currently is no listing in Schwann of The Dream of Gerontius. And this makes all the more significant the offering of the Musical Heritage Society. The reading simply couldn't be improved upon. Sir Adrian Boult was for me the greatest of all the great English conductors. His mastery of Gerontius is absolute. The singers, both the soloists and the choruses, are first rate. The sound of MHS is very good. The original of this recording was issued in 1976 by EMI. I simply cannot recommend too highly this fine reissue by MHS.
I do have one reservation: The recording does not come with a text. And this is too bad. It would be a pity to hear Gerontius without giving a careful reading to the text. A reading of Cardinal Newman's poem will help. Better yet, try to obtain the text elsewhere.