Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 1. Prelude
2. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 1. Jesu, Maria - I am near to death
3. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 1. Kyrie eleison... Holy Mary, pray for him
4. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 1. Rouse thee, my fainting soul
5. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 1. Sanctus fortis, Sanctus Deus
6. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 1. I can no more
7. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 1. Proficisere, anima Christiana

Disc 2:

1. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. Introduction
2. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. I went to sleep
3. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. My work is done
4. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. It is a member of that family
5. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. But hark!... Low-born clods of brute earth
6. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. Dispossessed, aside thrust
7. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. I see not those false spirits
8. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. There was a mortal... Praise to the Holiest
9. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. But hark! a grand mysterious harmony
10. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. Praise to the Holiest
11. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. Thy judgment now is near
12. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. Praise to His Name!... Take me away
13. The Dream of Gerontius, oratorio for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 38: Part 2. Softly and gently

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81354 in Music
• Released on: 2009-01-13
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Album Description
"[Bryn Terfel is] a voice in a billion." -- The Times

"Mark Elder's interpretation with the Hallé orchestra and choir evaded characterization, though he stamps his dramatic instincts all over the piece. It is either a religious tone poem or a spiritual opera, either way the effect is frequently cataclysmic." -- The Guardian

Elgar's late masterpiece is an extraordinary work full of drama and passion alongside exquisite music of sublime delicacy. It is a moving expression of the composer's unorthodox religious faith and a poignant reflection on a man's journey through death, depicted in striking writing for choir, orchestra, and soloists.

Customer Reviews

Great Gerontius
This is easily the best Gerontius since Richard Lewis. Wonderful quality great performance. I heard the same principals (minus Terfel) perform at the Edinburgh Festival and this recording was just as fine and "live" as the concert one.

The Dream of Gerontius
I purchased this CD based on a very positive review and also from having heard brief excerpts of another performance.
The music is slow, evocative, and expansive, with relatively brief moments of high drama. For my taste, its low-key rhapsodic intent is a bit too much of the same thing, though beautiful melody, harmony and orchestration occasionally caught my attention. The style is heavily derived from Wagner's "Parsifal" and perhaps a little also from Mahler, though the music is much simpler than these composers, making it "easy listening" in this respect.
The singing, orchestral playing, and sound of the recording are excellent.