Elgar Album Review: The Dream of Gerontius – A bold and dramatic Gardner and LPO read | classical music

TDream of Gerontius may be the unlikely star of Alan Bennett’s The Choral, but it doesn’t need a boost in popularity: Edward Gardner’s lively new recording is one of three released in the past two years, with another due out in January.

This reading was recorded live at the 2022 BBC Proms, and is enjoying a great deal of success. Alan Clayton portrays the febrile nature of the dying man whose every sensation is both horror and fascination. His heroic tone is stirring in the great prayer, Sanctus Fortis, while expressive use of the text illuminates the philosophical question-and-answer session in Part Two. Jimmy Barton’s luxurious mezzo-soprano has a palpable immediacy as well as providing great reserves of comfort. James Platt’s booming voice is a perfect fit for Angel of the Agony.

Gardner is very dramatic, and conveys the narrative with an almost operatic boldness. The London Philharmonic Orchestra plays as if a chorus of demons were at its heels, matched by the combined forces of the London Philharmonic Chorus and Halle. Here and there, the audio robs the recording of its last ounce of immediacy, but overall it’s a fine achievement to be ranked alongside Nicolas Colon’s astonishing Finnish account released earlier this year.