RECORDING OF THE MONTH RECORDING OF THE MONTH BARGAIN OF THE MONTH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS A London Symphony Oboe Concerto £11 post free World-wide RACHMANINOV Elegy, Preludes, Piano concerto 3 £12 post free World-wide CHAUSSON, DEBUSSY RACHMANINOV TRios 2CDs £16 post free World-wide

AVAILABILITY  Pristine Audio

Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) The Dream of Gerontius Op.38 (1900) Heddle Nash (tenor) Gladys Ripley (contralto) Dennis Noble (baritone) Norman Walker (bass) Huddersfield Choral Society Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Malcolm Sargent rec. Huddersfield Town Hall between 8 & 12 April 1945. PRISTINE AUDIO PACO009 [55.00 + 35.08]

I’ve had my say on this performance in my review of a competing transfer on Pearl, where it’s coupled with Gladys Ripley’s underrated Sea Pictures (see review). Superlatives apart, there is now another competing version of this 1945 Gerontius on Testament, coupled with Tortelier’s first Cello Concerto reading with Sargent conducting and to which I’ve not had access for comparative listening purposes.   A new entrant is always welcome and so this one makes three versions of the most incandescent and valuable – and in my view greatest – recording of Gerontius ever committed to disc. Andrew Rose’s Pristine Audio, an increasingly adventurous outfit in the restoration of gems to the catalogue, now adds another complicating factor to the equation, given their price-list and the fact that this is issued without coupling. Go to Pristine Audio’s website for their newly streamlined pricing structure.   With regard to the transfers I find that, for my taste, the lower to mid frequency response tends to predominate and the upper frequencies are dampened in the interest of shellac suppression. Nash’s voice does sound rather distant in comparison with the relatively unfiltered Pearl sound and the clarion declamation of his Rouse Thee, My Fainting Soul is distinctly muffled here. The orchestral tone colours are also more muted – note the string separation in Proficiscere, Anima Christiana which is that much more clarified in the Pearl. This applies equally to things like the clarinet writing in the opening of the Second Part or the under-powering Take Me Away.   Still there is room for all tastes. Mine are strongly for the Pearl; not having heard the Testament I can’t comment on their work. Pristine Audio offers a versatile policy with regard to up to date technology so that may tempt you.   Jonathan Woolf     AVAILABILITY  Pristine Audio     Advertising Rates Visitor stats MusicWeb International has over 40,000 Classical CD reviews on offer Discs received Having a problem Donating? Gerard Hoffnung Concerts & The Bricklayer Story MusicWeb can now offer you discs from the following catalogues: Prices include postage There will be NO VAT Rises [Acte Préalable £13.50] [Arcodiva £12.00] [Avie from £6.25] [British Music Society £12.00] [CDACCORD from £13.50 ] [ClassicO £12.50] [Hallé from £11] [Heritage £10] [Hortus £14.99 ] [Lyrita ONLY £11.75 ] [Nimbus Special prices] [Northern Flowers £13.50] [REDCLIFFE £11 ] [Sheva £11] [Tactus £11.50 ] [Talent from £12.00 ] [Toccata Classics £10.50 ] Musicweb Special Offers Monthly Best Buys   New Releases New Releases   MusicWeb sells the Polish catalogue CDAccord £10.50 post free W-W MusicWeb sells the Arcodiva catalogue £12.00 post free W-W £11.75 post-free world- wide     Google Ads - for information about privacy matters, click here.  Amazon Musicweb International is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

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