Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius - The Music Makers / Gedda, Watts, Lloyd, Baker; Boult

Elgar's Dream of Gerontius is, in effect, a sung tone poem and resides at the core of English choral music; it is the supreme achievement among Elgar's large-scale works. Interestingly, its premiere came in the last months of the 19th century, a time, much like our own, when fluctuating styles and experimentation existed alongside a lingering and powerful devotion to the older, traditional ways. Thus, the release of this classic 1975 recording (intelligently paired with another sumptuous, musically significant choral work, The Music Makers) is not only timely but serves to remind us of how successfully Elgar bridged both Romanticism's dwindling currents and the swelling streams of impressionism and atonality. This performance, featuring the 86-year-old Adrian Boult in total, rock-steady command, shows what magic can happen when conductor and performers are in complete sync, musically and philosophically. The melodies are abundant and beautiful, the choral writing is magnificent, and the sound, especially in Gerontius, is full and vibrant. --David Vernier