Elgar: The Dream Of Gerontius, Op.38

Featuring

Daniel Barenboim
Andrew Staples
Thomas Hampson
Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Staatskapelle Berlin
RIAS Kammerchor

Staatsopernchor Berlin
Edward Elgar

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Cultural Impact

The Dream of Gerontius is sometimes called the 'English Parsifal' due to its expressive nature and musical influences.

Notable Performances

After its disastrous premiere, The Dream of Gerontius achieved triumph in Düsseldorf in 1901, conducted by Julius Buths, a protégé of Richard Strauss.

Composer Biography

Edward Elgar, a self-taught musician, is considered the most significant English composer between Henry Purcell and Benjamin Britten.

Critical Reception

The premiere of The Dream of Gerontius on October 3, 1900, was a fiasco due to insufficient rehearsal time for the technically demanding work.

Composition History

Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius was commissioned by the Birmingham Festival, a major center for oratorio, for its 1900 season.

Composition History

Elgar chose to set Cardinal John Henry Newman's Gerontius poem, with which he had long been familiar, for his oratorio.

Compositional Technique

Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius is deeply indebted to Wagner's Parsifal, incorporating its leitmotivic technique and featuring many passages that sound like direct quotes.