This is the third recording of Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius” to appear in the last year. In February 2025, Ondine released a recording with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Several months later, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Edward Gardner released a performance on their house label, and now we have this recording by the Huddersfield Choral Society and Opera North under Martyn Brabbins. This same choir made the first complete recording of “Gerontius” in April 1945, and this new album was recorded eighty years later, virtually to the day, on 5 April 2025.
I struggle to love this work. I have several recordings: the classic Barbirolli/Warner Classics, Britten/Decca, Davis/Chandos, Elder/ Hallé, McCreesh/Signum and the Collon mentioned above. All of these are excellent, but the predominance of slow music, setting what often feels like obtuse poetry, causes me difficulty. I connect more readily to readings on the quicker side, such as Collon’s (91 minutes) and Elder (95 minutes – Gardner’s recent recording is the fastest at 87 minutes). At 92 minutes, Brabbins feels exactly right, offering a convincing solemnity without sentimentalizing the music, as is sometimes the case in the Davis/Chandos performance (at 102’30,” the slowest recording I know – even Barbirolli comes in under the 100-minute mark).
Orchestra of Opera North has tremendous power when required, but more impressive is its supple phrasing and sensitive accompanying. The string ensemble sounds smaller compared to other performances, especially in the lower end (the roster lists 12/9/7/6/4), so listeners seeking a more lustrous sound may find Davis and McCreesh more to their liking. Hyperion’s engineering has body and depth, with the choir forwardly balanced. The organ has tremendous presence, with tummy rumbling low notes in loud climaxes.
The Huddersfield singers are superb, full-throated, well balanced, with excellent diction (rarely did I need to consult my libretto). Soft singing, even when above the stave, is beautifully controlled, with inner voices impressively present, even in the densely contrapuntal passages. Sample “The Demon’s Chorus” (CD 2, track 6) where their fabulous diction and energetic attacks capture the ferocious raging of the demons. And how everyone works together in the build-up to “Praise to the Holiest” (CD 2, track 7), giving this climax incredible splendor.
I appreciate that the semi-chorus is the RNCM Chamber Choir, its more youthful sound establishing a distinct color from the main choir. This is something Britten did in his recording (using the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge); Elder follows suit, using the Hallé Youth Choir. The soloists (David Butt Philip, Gerontius; Karen Cargill, Angel; Roland Wood, Priest/Angel of the Agony) are exceptionally fine, though none eclipses the work of my favorite performers.
Martyn Brabbins (image: © Hyperion S Perry)
Philip’s Gerontius is beautiful, stirring and altogether but a bit too virile – this is, after all, supposed to be a dying man, faithful yet terrified. Turn to Nicky Spence (McCreesh) and you’d find greater vulnerability, more struggle and strain as Gerontius comes to grips with death. (To be fair, more than one reviewer would argue that the vulnerable struggle I hear in Spence’s performance is due to inconsistent technique.) Paul Groves (Elder) also inhabits the character far more compellingly. Wood is excellent, though Shirley-Quirk (Britten) and Terfel (Elder) are more impressive still, establishing a contrasting color and approach for the Priest and Angel of the Agony.
Every soloist who sings the Angel role is compared to Janet Baker’s uniquely touching performance (Barbirolli). I find Cargill’s rendition beautifully sung, though less moving than Rice (Collon/Ondine) and Connolly (Davis/Chandos).
Hyperion’s provides a fine booklet: notes from John Pickard, biographies, color photographs, and choir and orchestra rosters. Despite modest concerns about the soloists, this new release has much to offer, especially the robust singing of the Huddersfield choir.
Recommended Comparisons
Barbirolli | Britten | Davis | Elder | McCreesh | Collon | Gardner
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Album Details |
|
|---|---|
| Album name | Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius |
| Label | Hyperion |
| Catalogue No. | CDA68461/2 |
| Artists | Gerontius – David Butt Philip (tenor) Angel – Karen Cargill (soprano) Priest & Angel of the Agony – Roland Wood (baritone) Huddersfield Choral Society Orchestra of Opera North RNCM Chamber Choir Martyn Brabbins (conductor) |
