Now there are three CD versions of Elgar's last oratorio, The Kingdom, from which to choose—yet when Boult's EMI recording first appeared on LP in 1969, the likelihood of anyone else recording this work seemed remote indeed. Richard Hickox has already made a fine recording of The Dream of Gerontius for Chandos and seems to be working steadily through Elgar's choral works. On the whole, I rate this Kingdom below his Gerontius both as interpretation and recording. The balance between choir and orchestra is far from ideal; frequently, one cannot distinguish the London Symphony Chorus's words. This is especially noticeable in the wonderful closing section of Part 3, one of the highlights of Boult's performance and very impressive, too, in Slatkin's (RCA). Here it misfires, mainly because of recording balance. The brass section in the orchestra, for example, are too prominent.
Slatkin, on the whole, is slower than Hickox. I often chide conductors for going slow in Elgar but here I feel that Hickox misses some of the music's poignancy through a desire to press on. There is an ache throughout The Kingdom which best manifests itself in countless passages of rubato little hesitations and intakes of breath that Slatkin seems instinctively to comprehend as part of the texture.
I hope I don't sound too cool or dismissive about Hickox's interpretation, for that is far from my intention. Much of it is extremely fine, with a real Elgarian feel to it. He is particularly impressive and moving from ''The Breaking of the Bread'' to the end of the work, and in the earlier scenes he obtains some noble singing from the chorus, while the orchestra play with both fire and sensitivity
Which brings me to the knotty question of the soloists. They were the weak point of the Slatkin issue and they are here too. Neither quartet can compare satisfactorily with Boult's. The soprano Margaret Marshall gives a fairly convincing account of ''The sun goeth down'' but betrays some strain at its dramatic climax. Arthur Davies is a good St John, Felicity Palmer an acceptable Mary Magdalene once one has come to terms with her brassy timbre. When it comes to excessive vibrato and constricted tone, there is little to choose between Luxon's St Peter (Slatkin) and David Wilson-Johnson for Hickox, except that Luxon sounds more involved emotionally.
As fill-ups, Hickox offers expressive performances of Elgar's first ceremonial work, Sursum corda, and his almost confessional Sospiri of 20 years later.R1 '9002081'