courtesy of Naxos of America
About half a month ago, SOMM RECORDINGS released the third volume in its Elgar from America series. As was the case for the first two volumes, the album is the result of the efforts of audio restoration engineer Lani Spahr to remaster recordings of the music of Edward Elgar. I wrote about the second volume at the beginning of September of 2020, only a few weeks before I began to embark on the Warner Classics release, Sir John Barbirolli: The Complete Warner Recordings. This was when I wrote about Barbirolli’s tenure with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, which resulted in repertoire decisions that were apparently too adventurous for Philharmonic subscribers. Barbirolli’s frustration led to his return to Great Britain, even if he had to travel in the middle of World War II.
The SOMM collection includes only one recording that was made during Barbirolli’s tenure in New York. The selection was Elgar’s Opus 85 cello concerto, performed with soloist Gregor Piatigorsky. The other conductors on the first two volumes, all of recordings made during wartime, were Arturo Toscanini, Artur Rodziński, and Malcolm Sargent. The third volume, on the other hand, is devoted entirely to performances of Barbirolli conducting the New York Philharmonic. However, the recording sessions all took place in the Fifties, 1953, 1956, and 1959, respectively. By that time Barbirolli had established his credentials in London and had an impressive discography to provide validation.
Nevertheless, he continued to pursue repertoire beyond the “comfort zone” of his New York audiences. The third volume is devoted almost entirely to Elgar’s setting of John Henry Newman’s 1865 poem “The Dream of Gerontius,” which is probably the most elaborate discourse on death in the English language. Elgar set this poem to music in 1900; and the two-part structure of the score, given the same title as Newman’s poem, became Elgar’s Opus 38. While the initial reception of the music was mixed, particularly among Anglicans reluctant to embrace Newman’s Catholicism, it did not take long for the score to be recognized as a significant undertaking, probably Elgar’s finest choral writing.
The recording on this new album was made during a performance in Carnegie Hall in January of 1959. The vocal soloists were tenor Richard Lewis, contralto Maureen Forrester, and baritone Morley Meredith. The choral passages were sung by the Westminster Choir, directed by Warren Martin of Westminster Choir College In Princeton, New Jersey. (Barbirolli first brought this choral ensemble to the New York Philharmonic during his tenure in 1939.) It is probably the case that this music is more popular in the United Kingdom than it is in the United States. It is certainly worth noting that Benjamin Britten conducted a recording for Decca Music, working with soloists Peter Pears, Yvonne Minton, and John Shirley-Quirk; but I have yet to experience a concert experience of the music.
To be fair, however, I think that my only Elgar encounter in Davies Symphony Hall involved an unsatisfying performance of the Opus 47 Introduction and Allegro, scored for string quartet and string orchestra. I remember that the conductor was a visiting guest, but I cannot remember who it was. Perhaps that is just as well to protect the guilty party!
In any event Opus 47 is the opening selection on the new SOMM release. This was a performance by the New York Philharmonic that Barbirolli conducted in January of 1959. The soloists were violinists John Corigliano and Leopold Rybb, violist William Lincer, and cellist Laszlo Varga. Personally, I prefer the recording that Barbirolli made with the Sinfonia of London and the Allegri Quartet, since I listened to that album so many times that I pretty much committed it to memory!
The third volume also includes two choral excerpts from Elgar’s Opus 30 setting of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Saga of King Olaf.” Barbirolli conducted these excerpts with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City. Music was provided by Alexander Schreiner on organ. It has been a long time since I have listened to this chorus sing anything, and the novelty of this Elgar selection was a pleasant surprise.
No comments:
Post a Comment