Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius [Import]

Elgar (Artist), Anne Sofie von Otter (Artist), David Rendall (Artist), Alastair Miles (Artist), London Symphony Orchestra (Artist), London Symphony Chorus (Artist), Sir Colin Davis (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Lso Live UK
• ASIN: B000GPI2BS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #231,388 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ever-so-slightly disappointing, February 21, 2007

By 

Bill (West Hartford, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius (Audio CD)

I have waited for this recording for over 20 years. Having heard Davis perform Gerontius with Jessye Norman and Stuart Burrows in Boston in the early 80s, I could never understand why a conductor of such talent and sensitivity was never recorded in this work. In this LSO Live recording, Davis does not disappoint, bringing a performance of extraordinary perception and beauty. His conducting matches the drama and spirituality of Boult's 1970s reading, in my view--the best-conducted of stereo versions. That version is highly recommended, as well as Hickox's Chandos version, which has superb sound. The fifth star is missing from this because the sound provided by LSO Live lacks the last ounce of depth and atmosphere. Compare The LSO Live Elgar 1st Symphony and that released by Profil from Dresden--both conducted by Davis--and you'll hear that the Barbican, ultimately, is not the most hospitable recording venue. That said, the engineers have done the best they can. The chorus sounds rich and full under the circumstances, and, as with Davis's Peter Grimes, they are deeply involved in the proceedings, further justifying the purchase of this version. David Rendall, an excellent and fluid Mozart singer of the 1980s, has since taken on heavier roles and substituted for Ben Heppner at the last moment in this run of performances. He gives a highly-nuanced and credible reading, preferable in some ways to Nicolai Gedda (certainly preferable, to my ears, to Peter Pears), but not quite as vocally pure as Arthur Davies' performance on Chandos. A bigger disappointment is in Von Otter's reading, as her voice lacks the contralto depth and richness this role requires. Her intelligence, however, and sensitivity cannot be questioned. I have not heard the SACD version; my complaint about the sound is slight, and concerns the depth and richness--not the stereo separation. My reservations, however, should not send a potential buyer elsewhere necessarily: make no mistake, this is a beautiful reading and an important document of Davis's career and his work with Elgar and the LSO.

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exellent, May 12, 2007

By 

Harald Ludvig Stegen "hls" (Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius (Audio CD)

Frist of all this was an exellent CD. with very gooood artists and courus. This record was impossible to buy in Norway

2 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breaking Into Line (or Queue, if that suits), September 20, 2006

By 

Barely Literate (Santa Maria, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius (Audio CD)

I have ordered but not received this set and clearly am not qualified to
denote five stars. Please pardon the effrontery, but I feel confident that Sir Colin Davies, London Philharmonic and soloists will justify my blind (deaf?) faith.

I am recommending Elgar's Dream of Gerontius to all who seek and appreciate the sublime beauty of this music.

I have the 1988 recording, Chandos 8641/2 (London Symphony, Hickox) and rate it exquisite. Further, approximately twelve years ago, I had the great fortune to stumble across a live concert in Ely Cathedral: a momentous event.

My apologies for not being able to give a product-specific review.