'The Dream of Gerontius'

A brief pause in my survey of Michael Raucheisen’s ‘Lied der Welt’ project to consider Elgar’s ‘The Dream of Gerontius’. This temporary change of direction has been prompted by the thought that my loyal readership might appreciate a change from German lieder but also by the release of two ‘Gerontius’ related items: a new recording of the work, conducted by Martyn Brabbins, and the film ‘The Choral’, written by Alan Bennett and directed by his long-time collaborator, Nicholas Hytner.

To begin with ‘The Choral’. This is set in a fictional Yorkshire town during WW1. The local choral society, the ‘Choral’ of the title, is preparing for a performance of Bach’s ‘The Matthew Passion’, but have lost their conductor and choir master, who have both joined up. A new choir master is appointed who is extremely able and well qualified, but he has been working in Germany and is a great admirer of German culture, which causes tensions. It is also implied he is gay, and has a German lover, who is killed while serving in the German navy. The accompanist, also probably  gay, is a conscientious objector. To add to this, there are very few younger men available to sing because of the military call-up so the choir lacks sufficient male voices. In any event, anti-German feeling makes singing a piece by Bach impossible, so the then recently composed ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ is chosen as a replacement. ‘The Choral’ is about far more than Elgar, but a fuller analysis of the wider themes must wait for another time. Most relevant to this discussion is that Elgar is appalled that the role of Gerontius is to be sung by a young, disabled soldier: he wants Gerontius to be sung by a far more mature, heavier voice and he is even more outraged that expediency has forced the conductor to rearrange the orchestration for piano trio (the ‘Palm Court’ trio from the local hotel). The final straw is when Elgar learns that the performance is going to be ‘staged’. ‘It’s not an opera!’ Simon Russell Beale as Elgar fulminates. He refuses permission for the performance to go ahead. This is got round by giving the performance free of charge, so the ending, if not exactly happy – what could be truly happy in the desperate circumstances of 1916? – offers a kind of bitter-sweet consolation.

The question of what sort of tenor voice best suits the role of Gerontius is a vexed and complex one. Singers who have recorded the work include Ben Jones, Steuart Wilson, Tudor Davies, Heddle Nash, Richard Lewis, Nicolai Gedda, Peter Pears, Robert Tear, Jon Vickers, Julius Patzak (in German), John Mitchinson, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, William Kendall, Paul Groves, Arthur Davies, David Rendall, Philip Langridge, Andrew Staples, Peter Auty, Justin Lavender, Allan Clayton, Nicky Spence, Stuart Skelton, John Findon, and, most recently, David Butt Philip. The central performance problem is that Gerontius is, by definition, an old man, so he must sound, at times at least, vulnerable, even fragile. He is also called on to address some fairly thorny theological problems: investigating the nature of purgatory, for example, and express some very natural human fears. Therefore, any singer tackling the role of Gerontius will have to be intellectually convincing and at least suggest he has had the life experience necessary to appreciate the vital seriousness of what he is saying. To top all this, the ideal Gerontius will be able to deal with a very wide range of dynamics, possess a voice of tender lyricism but also considerable power, capable of an heroically climactic top B flat in the phrase ‘Some angel Jesu, such as came to thee, in thine own agony!’

So, does the ideal Gerontius exist? Well, sadly, certainly not in the most recent recorded performance conducted by Martyn Brabbins on Hyperion. As I mentioned above, this, along with ‘The Choral’ was the main inspiration for my starting this particular Blog. In the past I have admired the Gerontius, David Butt Philip, in several live performances, and my good friend, distinguished writer and critic Richard Wigmore, told me recently that he had been very impressed by DBP’s performance of Gerontius in Worcester Cathedral at the Three Choirs Festival. I’m afraid as recorded here his voice has taken on an unpleasant heavy vibrato, and while his singing is intelligent and heart felt this interpretation cannot be recommended, particularly as the recorded sound is muddy. The Huddersfield Choral Society and RNCM Chamber Choir sound ill focused and underpowered, and Karen Cargill as the Angel, while possessed of a magnificent voice, too often sounds like Fricka giving Wotan a right telling off rather than the in his consoling voice of God’s divine representative.

Another recent recording, with John Findon standing in at short notice for an indisposed Allan Clayton at a live recording in Finland makes a far more positive impression. I have written praising Findon’s performance as Peter Grimes at ENO and his Gerontius has much to recommend it; he sings with an unfailingly attractive tone and his response to the text is most sensitive. He cannot be blamed for missing the subtler nuances of interpretation that will almost certainly come with maturity and experience. The choral singing from combined Finnish and Cambridge forces is excellent as is the orchestral playing under Nicholas Collon, but I found both the Angel of Christine Rice and the Angel of the Agony/Priest of Roderick Williams distinctly underwhelming.

Edward Gardner assembles a more balanced team for his 2025 recording with LPO forces. In particular, Allan Clayton gives one of the finest performances of Gerontius ever recorded, with, beautiful, wonderfully varied tone and impeccable response to the text. There is also a sense of emotional fragility which brings him close to the ideal. Occasionally his higher register becomes a shade constricted and his top B flat is not the thrilling culmination of Part 1 it should be, but, overall, this is one of my recommended interpretations. Clayton is ably partnered by the characterful Jamie Barton as the Angel, and the powerful, if not ideally steady, bass, James Platt.

Stuart Skelton, in his 2014 performance conducted by Sir Andrew Davis is cast in more heroic mold than most tenors in this work and he gives a sumptuous, golden toned vocal performance. Nor is he insensitive to his text and his performance is often profoundly moving. That he misses the ideal degree of vulnerability is no reason for not also recommending this set, particularly as Dame Sarah Connolly is one of the best of all the eminent mezzo-sopranos who have recorded the role of the Angel.

Paul McCreesh’s 2024 recording has been much praised, and the orchestral and choral contributions are excellent. As Gerontius, Nicky Spence has s splendid voice and his interpretation shows considerable intelligence and sensitivity but he tends to try to do too much with the text, emphasizing so many words in his eagerness to convey meaning and emotion that the vocal line can become distorted. I find the overall effect rather externalized. He demonstrates the character of Gerontius rather than becoming him. I also find the mezzo and bass in this recording distinctly underwhelming, so can offer only modified rapture in the final analysis.

The recordings discussed so far have been more or less recent. Before considering a few ‘classic’ even ‘iconic’ performances, I’d like to mention one that I approached with little enthusiasm but found I enjoyed very much. The performance conducted by David Hill from 1996 might be described as provincial if that did not seem to damn with faint praise. In the event the performance of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (plus the Waynefleet Singers) is excellent and, if the soloists are hardly household names, they give fine accounts of themselves. The late William Kendall was a much admired lay clerk at Winchester Cathedral for nearly fifty years, but he recorded little as a soloist, so my expectations were not high. In the event, he sings with admirable tone and great sensitivity. Interestingly, he generally takes lower ‘ossia’ options when these are offered (not that he doesn’t have the high notes – he offers a very creditable top B flat) and it is good to have these preserved on disc. If his performance lacks the last degree of individuality, it is still worth hearing. Sarah Fryer is a youthful sounding Angel, lighter of tone than is the norm, and offering an other-worldly vocal presence which is most attractive and totally appropriate, while Matthew Best (also no longer with us, sadly) gives one of the best performances of the bass roles on disc. This is another of my recommendations.

Any discussion of essential older ‘Gerontius’ recordings must begin with Sir Malcolm Sargeant’s 1945 version, with Heddle Nash as Gerontius. Nash had just turned fifty when this recording made and he had sung the role many times. His experience shows: he is entirely ‘in’ the role, and this is an essential performance. Nash’s tone is unique – the silvery tone sounds suitably aged and vulnerable but is also most beautiful. He is also master of all the role’s technical demands. All other performances of Gerontius have to be measured against this one. Heddle Nash is well supported by the other elements of the performance: there is excellent playing and singing from The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Huddersfield Choral Society (sounding better for Sargeant in 1945 that they do for Brabbins in 2026) and Gladys Ripley is a warmly consoling Angel in the Ferrier manner. Bass duties are split between a high baritone, Denis Noble, as the Priest, and a bass, Norman Walker as the Angel of the Agony and they are both admirable (particularly Walker) but I still think it preferable to have a bass with a good top for both roles. It just sounds more solemn, as it should. This is an iconic  recording, even if not quite my first choice.

Richard Lewis recorded ‘Gerontius’ twice. The 1965 recording, conducted by Sir John Barbarolli is probably the best known account of the work ever produced and was the ‘go to’ version for record buyers of my generation. The glory of the set is Dame Janet Baker as the Angel, arguably the best of all time, but other aspects are more controversial. Lewis had a cold when the recording was made so vocally he was not at his best (although as I’ve said in previous posts he generally sounded like he had a cold even when he didn’t so this is perhaps a minor caveat). Major reservations have been made about the bass Kim Borg. Borg was Finnish and his English is quite heavily accented, but the actual sound he produces is very fine, so many listeners have been prepared to overlook this. In any event, this classic recording of ‘Gerontius’ should be heard for overall excellence, and Dame Janet Baker’s peerless singing in particular. Lewis is in better voice in his 1954 recording with Sargeant and while the sound quality is not of the finest, he is ably partnered by Marjorie Thomas and John Cameron.

Robert Tear, in his 1976 recording, conducted by Sir Alexander Gibson, proves to be a sensitive Gerontius and his conversation with Alfreda Hodgson’s excellent Angel is particularly fine, but he lacks the last degree of the heroic and Benjamin Luxon is rather light weight in this context. All this, combined with a rather muddy recording makes this difficult to recommend without qualification. Modified rapture must also apply to Boult’s 1976 version with Nicolai Gedda in the title role. Gedda is, in many ways, luxury casting and some of his singing is magnificent, but his English pronunciation, while generally very good, is not entirely convincing and the overall effect is studied rather than spontaneous – a serious drawback for me, although perhaps not to others. Helen Watts sings beautifully as the Angel, but Robert Lloyd finds the tessitura of the Priest taxing – he sounds strained and flat. This set has many admirers and the orchestra and choral elements are excellent, but it is not for me. Neither is David e performance under the baton of Sir Colin Davis. Rendall had an international career and was a fine singer, but here he is too often under the note. Another fine singer, John Mitchinson, recorded Gerontius too late in his career, when, despite very moving  moments, his wide vibrato proves off-putting. His colleagues, Janet Baker and John Shirley-Quirk are also heard to better advantage elsewhere – a shame, as the performance is conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and is full of stimulating insights. By contrast, Arthur Davies, under Richard Hickox, is captured in his prime, and the effect is often thrilling. A true spinto tenor, Davies is utterly secure vocally, and while he might lack the last degree of sweetness and vulnerability, this is a performance to cherish. Gwynne Howell is excellent in the bass roles, one of the most convincing on disc, so it is particularly unfortunate that Felicity Palmer as the Angel cannot match the beauty of tone supplied by Baker, Watts and Hodgson (for example). Despite this, Hickox’ conducting and distinguished contributions from LSO orchestral and choral forces combine with other positive qualities to make this a very serious contender as a go-to version.

Let’s finish with a little controversy. Jon Vickers performed Gerontius with Sir John Barbarolli in Rome in 1957. A recording of the ‘Live’ performance is readily available. Vickers lives the part of Gerontius to a degree that is searing in its intensity. His voice cracks on occasion and his soft singing can be insubstantial crooning, but he is also by turns heroic, vulnerable and heart-breaking. This is an extraordinary performance that no lover of ‘Gerontius’ should ignore. He is ably abetted by Constance Shacklock and Marian Nowakowski and the RAI Orchestra and Chorus are magnificently unidiomatic. The effect is thrilling. This is my favourite Gerontius recording and I order you to listen to it…

Also compulsory is Peter Pears 1972 assumption conducted by Benjamin Britten. There is no denying that, by this stage, Pears vibrato sometimes approaches the grotesque, but, like Vickers, he is Gerontius and this performance is deeply moving, sometimes painfully so. He sounds the most vulnerable of all the tenors I have heard in this work and his approach to the text, as one might imagine, is uniquely sensitive and intelligent. Combine this with his wonderful colleagues, Yvonne Minton and John Shirley-Quirk, and Britten’s inspired conducting of LSO forces and the choir of King’s College Cambridge and you have a recording that you must have, even if you don’t listen to it every day (or year for that matter…).

Philip Langridge would seem to be an ideal Gerontius, but his fine performance is only available on DVD and You Tube. Two other live performances on You Tube are worth seeking out, where you can find two fine Gerontius tenors David Johnston and Kenneth Bowen in important vintage portrayals .

So there you have it. Apologies if I have not mentioned a particular favourite. My essential ‘picks’ are the versions with Jon Vickers and Heddle Nash but you might well want a more sonically friendly recording. The Paul McCreesh discs certainly sound wonderful but I think you’ll be compromising in terms of some of the solo singing – not that many seem to agree with me. Overall Hickox might be the safest bet but the commercial Barbirolli has much to commend it, not least Janet Baker’s definitive performance of The Angel.

To return briefly to ‘The Choral’ – a very moving moment occurs when the Church of England minister lists his main objection to performing ‘The Dream of Gerontius’: Purgatory is an important element in the work and non-Catholics do not believe in this concept. He is vehemently corrected by the traumatized and disabled soldier Clyde (played by Jacob Dudman) – ‘Purgatory’ is a real place; he experienced it in the trenches. It is searingly unforgettable. A great moment from Dudman. I was also impressed by the brutally reduced orchestration and the semi-staging. Both convinced, and as such, a cut-down version along these lines would make an ambitious and exciting project for a school or college’s  drama and music departments.

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