★哈德斯˙菲爾德合唱團

☆馬丁˙布拉賓斯，指揮/北歌劇院管弦樂團

  哈德斯˙菲爾德合唱團演唱的艾爾加合唱管弦樂傑作《傑隆修斯之夢》新專輯的發行時機恰到好處，與新上映的電影《合唱團》完美契合。該片由三度奧斯卡提名演員雷夫˙范恩斯主演，他飾演一位約克郡合唱團的指揮。

  艾爾加的《傑隆修斯之夢》和歌唱是這部電影情節的核心，這部電影延續了以古典作曲家和音樂家為主角的系列電影的風格（例如《塔爾》、《莫札特傳》等）。

  本片以1916年為背景，由艾倫貝˙內特編劇，尼可拉斯˙海特納執導（兩人曾合作過《歷史男孩》和《貨車裡的女人》），講述了一個英格蘭北部合唱團在準備演出艾爾加的《傑隆修斯之夢》時所面臨的挑戰，以及幾位主要歌手在西線戰場犧牲的損失。影片中，合唱團的遭遇與現實有著驚人的相似之處。

  哈德斯˙菲爾德合唱團於1945年首次錄製了這部作品，並取得了巨大的成功。但合唱團與艾爾加這部傑作長達120年的淵源可追溯至1905年。這張新錄音或許會超越之前的版本，這要歸功於范恩斯以及包括西蒙·拉塞爾·比爾和羅傑·阿拉姆在內的一眾優秀演員的加入，讓音樂更豐富完整。

【曲目】

CD 1

1      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 1: Prelude

2      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 2: Jesu, Maria—I am near to death … Kyrie eleison (Gerontius/Assistants)

3      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 3: Holy Mary, pray for him (Assistants)

4      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 4: Rouse thee, my fainting soul (Gerontius/Assistants)

5      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 5: Sanctus fortis, Sanctus Deus (Gerontius)

6      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 6: I can no more (Gerontius/Assistants)

7      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 7: Proficiscere, anima Christiana … Go, in the name of Angels and Archangels (Priest/Assistants)

CD 2

1      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 8: Introduction

2      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 9: I went to sleep (Soul of Gerontius)

3      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 10: My work is done (Angel)

4      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 11: It is a member of that family (Soul of Gerontius/Angel)

5      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 12: But hark! upon my sense (Soul of Gerontius/Angel)

6      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 13: Low-born clods of brute earth – Dispossessed, aside thrust (Demons/Angel)

7      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 14: I see not those false spirits (Soul of Gerontius/Angel)

8      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 15: There was a mortal … Praise to the holiest (Angel/Choir of Angelicals/Soul of Gerontius)

9      Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 16: But hark! a grand mysterious harmony (Soul of Gerontius/Angel)

10    Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 17: Praise to the holiest (Choir of Angelicals)

11    Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 18: Thy judgement now is near (Angel/Soul of Gerontius)

12    Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 19: Jesu! by that shuddering dread (Angel of the Agony/Soul of Gerontius/Voices on Earth)

13    Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 20: Praise to his name! … Take me away (Angel/Soul of Gerontius/Souls in Purgatory)

14    Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38 - 21: Softly and gently (Angel/Souls in Purgatory/Choir of Angelicals)