Free Edward Elgar and His World by Byron Adams

Society’s concerts, at Queen’s Hall. Among the soloists only Ffranggon Davies had sung at the premiere. The American soprano Clementina De Vere-Sapio sang the Blessed Virgin and the Angel Gabriel; 54 Marie Brema, one of the soloists in the premiere of Gerontius, sang Mary Magdalene; 55 Gregory Hast sang St. John; 56 Francis Braun sang St. Peter; 57 and Plunket Greene sang Judas, as he had done in Gloucester.
    From the Concert Room
    The Musical Standard 68, no. 2116 (full series) (18 February 1905): 100
    The author of this article, L. L., has not been identified.
    â€œThe Apostles” at Queen’s Hall.
    S IR E DWARD E LGAR’S “The Apostles” was performed on Monday evening, February 13, by the London Choral Society under the direction of Mr. Arthur Fagge. The idea of the work came to the composer in his school days at Worcester. The head-master had been discoursing on the Twelve to his pupils: “The Apostles” he said, “were poor men, young men at the time of their calling; perhaps before the descent of the Holy Ghost not cleverer than some of you here.” This impressed the young musician and as he afterwards told his biographer, Mr. R. J. Buckley, the oratorio of 1903 was the result. 58 The impression one carries away from a first hearing of this fine work is one of admiration for the marvellous constructive unity of purpose in both libretto and music and for the vivid dramatic power in the second part. The cohesiveness and directness of aim seems greater than in “The Dream of Gerontius.” It is more direct, the action more rapid, and therefore it seems stronger, more dignified. “I have been thinking it out from boyhood,” Sir Edward Elgar said speaking of his libretto, “and have been selecting words for years, many years. I am my own librettist. Some day I will give you my ideas on the relationship between libretti and composer.” 59 It will not fail to be of interest to many when Sir Edward makes public his theories on the subject. In “The Apostles” the music and words are of intimate unison and in closest sympathy. The work is divided into two parts, which are again subdivided into seven numbers. The two parts are strongly contrasted. The music of the first is reposeful, placid, suited to the early environments and circumstances of the chief characters. The opening bars of “By the Wayside,” in which section Jesus first appears, are tender and melodious. They are heard again when He “came into the parts of Cassarea Philippi,” “By the sea of Galilee” and in the “Betrayal,” when “He went throughout every town and village preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God.” In the first section two very beautiful little orchestral tone-pictures are given: “In the Mountain—Night,” where “Jesus continued all night in prayer to God”; and “The Dawn,” in which the Shofar is heard and the watchers are on the Temple roof. The poetical feeling of the early morn is restrained but none the less extremely effective and delicate; as the sun rises the chorus sings: “The face of all the East is now ablaze with light, the dawn reacheth even unto Hebron.” The same musical subject is used again slightly altered “At the Sepulchre” on Easter morn when “early in the morning they came unto the Sepulchre at the rising of the Sun.” In the second part from the “Betrayal” to “Golgotha” the great drama is unfolded with swift, nervous strokes. The figure of Judas stands out in strong relief. Elgar takes the modern view which lends infinite pathos to the character and which gives an added interest to the conception. There is not the slightest touch of theatricality in the “March to Calvary,” and the blaspheming rabble are convincingly portrayed with their wild shout of “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Finally, of