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- Vaughan Williams/The Pilgrim's Progress - ROHCG/Hickox
Vaughan Williams/The Pilgrim's Progress - ROHCG/Hickox
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Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Pilgrim's Progress
Gerald Finley, Peter Coleman–Wright, Jeremy White, Richard Coxon, Roderick Williams, Gidon Saks, Francis Egerton, Rebecca Evans, Susan Gritton, Pamela Helen Stephen, Mark Padmore, Robert Hayward, Adrian Thompson, Jonathan Fisher, John Kerr, Christopher Keyte, Neil Gillespie, Donaldson Bell, Anne–Marie Owens, Mica Penniman, Richard Coxon
Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Richard Hickox
Naturally, any performance or CD recording of this glorious Masterpiece will be compared with Boult’s authoritative recording on EMI. Richard Hickox uses the Covent Garden Chorus and Orchestra and employs a cast which, on the surface, is excellent. Throughout the recording, all the singers’ diction is a lesson to any student, and, indeed, many established singers. The opening is slightly worrying as the sound for the singers seems to be given preference over that of the orchestra. However, this is soon rectified and the balance soon settles down to near perfection. Hickox’s view is more ‘Holy’ and grand than Boult’s and he lingers over the inspirational passages of the score to great effect. Both the chorus and orchestra bring out the unfamiliar score with total confidence. The cast refuse to simply sing their roles but throw themselves into the drama with Gerald Finley in glorious voice as The Pilgrim. On the Boult version John Noble sings the role well but can sound a little insecure – Finley is bang on with his pitch and his smooth strong tone matches the music to perfection. The introduction of the quote from ‘Symphony No 5’ is beautifully done and the Shining Ones are given a wonderful ‘sound’ and the whole scene of the removing of the burden is nothing short of magnificent. Vaughan Williams gives Watchful a memorable aria and Roderick Williams delivers it with great tenderness. The Arming of Pilgrim, with the familiar ‘Go forward Pilgrim’ Chorus has a thrusting, positive feel to it which leads us superbly to the darkly scored meeting with an almost mono-tone monster, Apollyon. Gidon Saks has a huge and dark voice so is able, with the help of a special sound, to easily stop Pilgrim in his tracks. The fast and furious but short Battle which follows is excellent.
CD 2 begins with the next big scene the complex ‘Vanity Fair’ with its plethora of eccentric characters. Hickox avoids the trap of taking the music too fast but he still manages to generate great excitement from the score. The climax of the scene is the trial, condemning and sentencing of Pilgrim which culminates in a heavy and solid chorus. Gidon Saks as Lord Hate–Good is totally convincing as the ‘Judge’. After all this drama, Vaughan Williams gives Pilgrim, now in prison, a lengthy and deeply emotional monologue which I defy anyone to listen to without filling up a little (or a lot). Finley’s singing of this passage has great clarity of text, emotion and vocal line, thus making it one of the major highlights of the set. For this recording, Hickox uses a boy soprano (Mica Penniman) for a delightfully sung Woodcutter’s Boy. The three Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains (Roderick Williams, Mark Padmore and Jeremy White) are a superbly matched trio and their tone makes a wonderful transition to the miraculous vision of the Celestial City natural and satisfying. As for the actual appearance of the Celestial City – well, for us, it doesn’t quite make it but Peter Coleman–Wright’s singing of the Epilogue as John Bunyan makes up for this previously slight criticism.
If we really had to choose between the Boult and Hickox recordings it would be a difficult decision but, we would still have to go for the Boult – but it would be an exceedingly close run thing. If you don’t know this opera, then you are missing out on something very special. If this CD set doesn’t convince you of our words then nothing will. This is a highly recommended set of CDs.
Recorded: 1997
Booklet contains a commentary and libretto in English/German/French
Chandos Chan 9625
CD manufactured in the EU in 1998
Duration: CD1-60:39 CD2-69:53
Condition:
Booklet: Clean and unmarked - some discolouration.
Case: Clean and intact - some discolouration and scuffing.
The Slipcase for this set is missing
Postage Rate C - Click for postage rates (Page will open in a new window)
Please remember - this is a used/second hand CD!
The Pilgrim's Progress
Gerald Finley, Peter Coleman–Wright, Jeremy White, Richard Coxon, Roderick Williams, Gidon Saks, Francis Egerton, Rebecca Evans, Susan Gritton, Pamela Helen Stephen, Mark Padmore, Robert Hayward, Adrian Thompson, Jonathan Fisher, John Kerr, Christopher Keyte, Neil Gillespie, Donaldson Bell, Anne–Marie Owens, Mica Penniman, Richard Coxon
Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Richard Hickox
Naturally, any performance or CD recording of this glorious Masterpiece will be compared with Boult’s authoritative recording on EMI. Richard Hickox uses the Covent Garden Chorus and Orchestra and employs a cast which, on the surface, is excellent. Throughout the recording, all the singers’ diction is a lesson to any student, and, indeed, many established singers. The opening is slightly worrying as the sound for the singers seems to be given preference over that of the orchestra. However, this is soon rectified and the balance soon settles down to near perfection. Hickox’s view is more ‘Holy’ and grand than Boult’s and he lingers over the inspirational passages of the score to great effect. Both the chorus and orchestra bring out the unfamiliar score with total confidence. The cast refuse to simply sing their roles but throw themselves into the drama with Gerald Finley in glorious voice as The Pilgrim. On the Boult version John Noble sings the role well but can sound a little insecure – Finley is bang on with his pitch and his smooth strong tone matches the music to perfection. The introduction of the quote from ‘Symphony No 5’ is beautifully done and the Shining Ones are given a wonderful ‘sound’ and the whole scene of the removing of the burden is nothing short of magnificent. Vaughan Williams gives Watchful a memorable aria and Roderick Williams delivers it with great tenderness. The Arming of Pilgrim, with the familiar ‘Go forward Pilgrim’ Chorus has a thrusting, positive feel to it which leads us superbly to the darkly scored meeting with an almost mono-tone monster, Apollyon. Gidon Saks has a huge and dark voice so is able, with the help of a special sound, to easily stop Pilgrim in his tracks. The fast and furious but short Battle which follows is excellent.
CD 2 begins with the next big scene the complex ‘Vanity Fair’ with its plethora of eccentric characters. Hickox avoids the trap of taking the music too fast but he still manages to generate great excitement from the score. The climax of the scene is the trial, condemning and sentencing of Pilgrim which culminates in a heavy and solid chorus. Gidon Saks as Lord Hate–Good is totally convincing as the ‘Judge’. After all this drama, Vaughan Williams gives Pilgrim, now in prison, a lengthy and deeply emotional monologue which I defy anyone to listen to without filling up a little (or a lot). Finley’s singing of this passage has great clarity of text, emotion and vocal line, thus making it one of the major highlights of the set. For this recording, Hickox uses a boy soprano (Mica Penniman) for a delightfully sung Woodcutter’s Boy. The three Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains (Roderick Williams, Mark Padmore and Jeremy White) are a superbly matched trio and their tone makes a wonderful transition to the miraculous vision of the Celestial City natural and satisfying. As for the actual appearance of the Celestial City – well, for us, it doesn’t quite make it but Peter Coleman–Wright’s singing of the Epilogue as John Bunyan makes up for this previously slight criticism.
If we really had to choose between the Boult and Hickox recordings it would be a difficult decision but, we would still have to go for the Boult – but it would be an exceedingly close run thing. If you don’t know this opera, then you are missing out on something very special. If this CD set doesn’t convince you of our words then nothing will. This is a highly recommended set of CDs.
Recorded: 1997
Booklet contains a commentary and libretto in English/German/French
Chandos Chan 9625
CD manufactured in the EU in 1998
Duration: CD1-60:39 CD2-69:53
Condition:
Booklet: Clean and unmarked - some discolouration.
Case: Clean and intact - some discolouration and scuffing.
The Slipcase for this set is missing
Postage Rate C - Click for postage rates (Page will open in a new window)
Please remember - this is a used/second hand CD!
1 available