Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius

Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, in spite of its cataclysmic premiere, soon became one of the most praised oratorios of its time. Barbirolli’s milestone performance exalts the lyricism of the vocal parts (with the help of top-class soloists such as Dame Janet Baker) and the dreamlike and mysterious dimension of the score. The 1968 Delius monography (Barbirolli’s second) is equally successful and enhance this music at the crossroads of impressionism and pastoral romanticism.