"THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 972, 12 November 1910, Page 10

"THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS."

SPLENDID PERFORMANCE OF A GREAT WORK, j . It ivas the privilege of a very large audience to hear for the first timo in New Zealand Sir Edward Elgar's magnificent oratorio, "The Dream of Gerontius," at the Town Hall lust evening. For this privilege we are indebted to Mr. J. llaughan' Barnett and the Wellington Choral Society, ivlio deserve the greatest credit in tho first place-for attempting such a difficult- and exacting work, and secondly for the remark' ably ablo manner in which it was interpreted. To'tlioso used'to the big choral festivals of England the very, idea of performing Elgar's great!work with 130 voices would perhaps 'lie deemed presumptuous, but after a performanco such as that of last evening praise, and only - praise, can be bestowed . on the society for its daring 'undertaking in tho faca of tho choral restrictions prevailing in Wellington. • And what of the work itself? -Sir Edward Eigar, who • was without tho honoured prefix when "The Dream of Gerontius" was first performed in ■■Birmingham, in 1900, advanced in'one step from writer. of merit merely into the glorious company of the great- bomposers, and was hailed as the saviour of England's waning prestige as !i producer ,of master minds in mUsicv : The' work was performed the succeeding year at Dusseldorf and elsewhere on t tho Continent, where he was further acclaimed, and honours flowed in from all quarters, including knighthood. Elgar's music is a new thought in music... His profound loftiness of sentiment and style, broadened and accentuated by the influence of ; -Wagner,-Richard Strauss, and such writers of the::modern school is intellectually, inspiring,- and is instinct with the finest- ; artisticßeeling. The .music is difficult. ; -He -. haa piled up an amazing, superstructure of start-lingly ■ unconventional music, full of pitfalls, to the careless, and demanding absorbing attention from all" concerned,. , on tlie base, of Cardinal Newman's, great .poem. Elgar makes- persistent use cf ; tho 'softer moods/and in doing so..;obtaina effects that would only seem- te. be- obtainable by the exertion of vocal force. Thus_ we' find thb ; .. florid.iy-written "Praise, the Holiest", chorale,., at-'the end marked treble piano, and tlxe- full chorded "Amen,'.' which, ends the,.oratorio, noted "piano." There was no final crescendo, . no.'grand", triumphal crash, no musical apotheosis,' .so to speak—the music was a reverential hush, and it had'that effect on; the great audience. ' The first part is/.almost devoted t-b" tho tenor (the dying Gerontius), whose difficult high-pitched music is given an edge of poignancy—a soul tortured: by- an agony' of -doubt, mingled with fear." There are s'pme.'delightful passages. in - relief,. as witness the 'stirring solo', "Reuse ' Thee,- '-3ly Fainting Soul." . which succeeds "'the very beautiful "Kyrie Eleison," and there are fine opportunities in l the flowing "Credo," albeit, a inost'difficult number.

Mr. E. J. Hill, as Gerontius, acquitted himself witli credit. To sing the exacting music allotted to the rolo perfectly calls for tonal qualities in, a 'tenor- of great range. Mr.. Bill has'never..bofore been called; on to sing such'-diffi-cult music, and he ,is to b'6 commended for his restraint,"correctness, anil the intelligence lie displayed in a comprehension of the spirit of the part'(markedly in tho recitative "I Went ~to Sleep"). His enunciation, too,'-was. a distinctly pleasing feature of ly conscientious performance. Mr. John Prouso was . in splendid form,'and sang the music of the.Priest, in tho first parfcVwith the magnificent solo, commencing "Proficiscere jinima Christiana;" lyith its steady, even beat, •'fil fSjlSeiifcldSs.'s's ' the 1 'fa't'fi' : foresh'2abwSa— and' ; ilie Angel of : t-he . Agony : iif the second part, with all the fife'and feeling of his best "Elijah" days. His voica is splendidly , attuned.-to the music of the part, which was suii'g with telling force and. expression. He has a magnificent solo in "Jesu, by that Shudd'ring Dread which Fell on Thee," and save, for ,one slip,..where he had to' pick up a new_ lead from a juinble of chords of chaotic accidentals, •the'.number was. splendidly sung.; Tho third, soloist was Miss : Nellie Castle, practically a beginner as-.; ■ a soloist, who was-allotted the music, of tho Angel who conducts the soul of Gerontius to the 'great Presence. V". She has a. • nicely-rounded mezzo-soprano voice, soft-and flowing, and sang the music very well indeed, • considering,her inexperience. The spirit_ of exultation was missing, and'her voice lacked the vibrancy to come through the chorua in. which she..had the solo line. . .The part; calls for the inspirational, in too. alism—a raro faculty. Miss Castle gives promise of better tilings for the future. '' '

The chorus work in. "The Dream of Gerontius" is most intricate. ' Elgar here gets some startling effects by utilising a' semi and full chorus—a double chorus unevenly divided: .in strength, and hero it should be mentioned the work, was remarkably'good, aiid the quality sound. The Choral Society's chorus has never done . anything better, and deserves unstinted praise. They sang the "Ivyrie" beautifully, and put vim-and bold character into the.'weird music to the Demons—the electrical "low-bora clods of- brute earth," with its shrieking,- snarling, "Ha, : 'ha's," was about as awakening' a piece ,of choral work heard in Wellington since Alfred Hill's famous "Ka ha" chorus in "Hinemoa."The chorus did really well throughout, and should be of material assistance- to the Sheffield. Choir, when it. produces Elga'r's work next year: -The' orchestra, led by. Mr. Herbert Bloy, came through the test with flying colours on the whole, and wero under splendid control throughout. Mr.- Barnett' : deserves: tho- thanks-of the musical for his courago and '.personal efforts. '"Tho Dream of Gerontius" is worth a second performance.