The Dream of Gerontius, op. 38
Oratorio
The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, is a work for voices and orchestra in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by John Henry Newman. It relates the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God and settling into Purgatory. Elgar disapproved of the use of the term oratorio for the work (and the term occurs nowhere in the score), though his wishes are not always followed. The piece is widely regarded as Elgar's finest choral work, and some consider it his masterpiece.
The work was composed for the Birmingham Music Festival of 1900; the first performance took place on 3 October 1900, in Birmingham Town Hall. It was badly performed at the premiere, but later performances in Germany revealed its stature. In the first decade after its premiere, the Roman Catholic theology in Newman's poem caused difficulties in getting the work performed in Anglican cathedrals, and a revised text was used for performances at the Three Choirs Festival until 1910.
Movements
- Part I, I. Prelude
- Part I, II. Jesu, Maria – I am near to death
- Part I, III. Rouse thee, my fainting soul
- Part I, IV. Sanctus fortis, sanctus Deus
- Part I, V. Proficiscere, anima Christiana
- Part II, I. I went to sleep
- Part II, II. It is a member of that family
- Part II, III. But hark! upon my sense comes a fierce hubbub
- Part II, IV. I see not those false spirits
- Part II, V. But hark! a grand mysterious harmony
- Part II, VI. Thy judgment now is near
- Part II, VII. I go before my judge
- Part II, VIII. Softly and gently, dearly-ransomed soul
Recommended recordings
- Hallé Orchestra · John Barbirolli YouTubeSpotify (subscription)
- London Symphony Orchestra · Benjamin Britten YouTubeSpotify (subscription)