Parry Soul's Ransom/Lotus-Eaters
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: (Charles) Hubert (Hastings) Parry
Label: Chandos
Magazine Review Date: 1/1992
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 80
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: CHAN8990
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (The) Soul's Ransom |
(Charles) Hubert (Hastings) Parry, Composer
(Charles) Hubert (Hastings) Parry, Composer David Wilson-Johnson, Baritone Della Jones, Mezzo soprano London Philharmonic Choir London Philharmonic Orchestra Matthias Bamert, Conductor |
| Choric Song from Tennyson's 'Lotos Eaters' |
(Charles) Hubert (Hastings) Parry, Composer
(Charles) Hubert (Hastings) Parry, Composer Della Jones, Mezzo soprano London Philharmonic Choir London Philharmonic Orchestra Matthias Bamert, Conductor |
Author:
The Chandos Parry series, conducted by Matthias Bamert, here brings us two almost totally unknown choral works—wisely not the oratorios but one of his 'ethical cantatas' and his earlier setting of the Choric song from Tennyson's The Lotos Eaters. Of course, The Soul's Ransom is the more ambitious, in that it is a kind of synthesis of three centuries of choral music, from Schutz (on whom Parry was an authority) to Elgar, who is inevitably recalled in some of the broad sequences of Parry's most fulsome episodes.
Subtitled ''A Psalm for the Poor'', this sinfonia sacra is a characteristic example of Parry's humanism. Most of the text is biblical, but the words of the final chorus were written by Parry. The fine setting of Psalm 49 for the baritone (David Wilson-Johnson in good voice) is one of the work's peaks, and others abound. It is depressing to realize that music of such splendour should have remained unperformed between 1906 and 1981. The scoring throughout is in dark colours, but these never become turgid. Della Jones is the excellent mezzo soloist, achieving a moving intensity in the setting of ''The people that walked in darkness'' (a courageous undertaking for any composer since Handel and entirely successful).
The Lotos Eaters dates from 1892 and I must say that, while I admire the earnest and elevatedThe Soul's Ransom, I love this lyrical setting of some of the most evocative English poetry ever written. Parry has captured the indolence and hedonism of the text in music that is both graceful and impressionistic. The London Philharmonic Choir's tone and diction alike are admirable and Della Jones is again the sensitive soloist. In restoring these long-lost works to circulation, Bamert has performed a service. He conducts them with total conviction and it would be good to think that some of our more adventurous choral societies might now take them up. The recording quality is excellent and, with 80 minutes of music, this disc is good value.'
Subtitled ''A Psalm for the Poor'', this sinfonia sacra is a characteristic example of Parry's humanism. Most of the text is biblical, but the words of the final chorus were written by Parry. The fine setting of Psalm 49 for the baritone (David Wilson-Johnson in good voice) is one of the work's peaks, and others abound. It is depressing to realize that music of such splendour should have remained unperformed between 1906 and 1981. The scoring throughout is in dark colours, but these never become turgid. Della Jones is the excellent mezzo soloist, achieving a moving intensity in the setting of ''The people that walked in darkness'' (a courageous undertaking for any composer since Handel and entirely successful).
The Lotos Eaters dates from 1892 and I must say that, while I admire the earnest and elevated
Parry Soul's Ransom/Lotus-Eaters
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