tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post5512491649789204710..comments2024-03-26T07:58:59.761+00:00Comments on I'll think of something later: Pilgrim, 46, seeks Delectable MountainsDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-8677006998947473592008-06-22T23:49:00.000+01:002008-06-22T23:49:00.000+01:00I was, in fact, referred here by my Google Alert f...I was, in fact, referred here by my Google Alert for VW, my only visit to date to La Cieca's blog having come via that, or another, such Alert. <BR/><BR/>I think you are the second person who has indicated that I may have misassessed Mr. Kennedy's voice. I had him "pegged" as an Italianate lyric tenor at least, and thus felt he would make a fine Gerontius since Elgar seems to have wanted something resembling that sort of voice, or at least one with strong passion in it, which I heard in Mr. Kennedy's performance in _The_ _Spirit_ _Of_ _England_. Is he not considerably different from, say, Mr. Gilchrist? There is something which bothers me a bit about the latter, but I cannot yet fully put my finger on it as it were. It _MIGHT_ have been Mr. Robert Hugill, whose blog, _Planet_ _Hugill_, I hope you know, who was the other to set me straight about Mr. Kennedy, and I eagerly look forward to his review of one of these performances of _Pilgrim_ at such time as it appears! <BR/><BR/>Speaking of both the Proms and Sir Charles as you did, it should come as no surprise that the one Prom to which I look forward more than any other, though certain of the VW ones, etc., cannot be overlooked, is his scheduled 16-August performance of Handel's _Belshazzar_! This is one of my favourite Handel oratorios, and I hope he does better with it this time than I felt he did with the Milwaukee Symphony in 1981. It would appear that at least this performance will be more complete. Though this is by _NO_ means its only virtue, I find more "good tunes" in this work than in any other single Handel work I currently know, and that may be saying something, given what a _SUPERB_ melodist he was! <BR/><BR/>Now that I have found out who you are, it is good to have crossed paths with you again, and perhaps I should seek out at least your book on Elgar! <BR/><BR/>With _MANY_ renewed thanks and best wishes,<BR/><BR/>J. V.JVaughanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07468133975019785693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-568533822134102472008-06-22T21:04:00.000+01:002008-06-22T21:04:00.000+01:00Greetings to you too, JV. I'm delighted you found ...Greetings to you too, JV. I'm delighted you found your way here - through La Cieca, no doubt - and that you have long known what it took me Thursday morning to discover: that The Pilgrim's Progress is indeed a great masterpiece. In fact here in the UK we have been extremely lucky to have so many opportunities to reassess RVW, and the Proms will give us quite a few more.<BR/><BR/>Andrew Kennedy did indeed sing Lord Lechery, and a Celestial Messenger too. What worries me about all these English Cathedral Tenor voices, though, is that they are pushed to sing heavier operatic repertoire and the top soon loses its sweetness and focus. He seemed the most solid of the three (or four, if we include Richard Coxon, a good actor).<BR/><BR/>Sorry I can't help you about the background - I don't know whether this was set up for me, or whether it all came ready-made, but I followed, I think, the blueprint of my friend Sophie Sarin on www.djennedjenno.blogspot.com, and she might be able to help you.<BR/><BR/>Best wishes with your selective repertoire - and I'm glad you do reverence to Sir Charles Mackerras, one of my all-time most respected conductors.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-25578431747841921572008-06-22T19:42:00.000+01:002008-06-22T19:42:00.000+01:00Greetings!:Strange as it may seem, this morality m...Greetings!:<BR/><BR/>Strange as it may seem, this morality might still remain my favourite work in the whole of Western serious music, and I am privileged to own both the Boult and Hickox recordings of it, and, though I have not played it in full, a cassette copy of the Royal Northern College of Music's acclaimed production from the early 90's. <BR/><BR/>Mr. Williams is a singer I admire, having him in some VW, notably the fairly-recently-recorded and, I feel, exquisite _Willow_ _Wood_. It would have been interesting to hear how he did in comparison with the _WONDERFUL_ Mr. Finley on Mr. Hickox's recording, though his expressivity could well have carried the day. I am a bit sorry that my favourite current soprano, Miss Gritton, did not repeat her contributions to the recording in these performances, but at least I have the latter, though former in actual chronology! I look forward to more from Mr. Kennedy, thinking he could well make a _SUPERB_ Gerontius, based on the job he did in the Naxos recording of Elgar's _The_ _Spirit_ _Of_ _England_! Do I assume that he was the Lord Lechery? Mr. Hickox is to be given _MUCH_ credit for championing this work in recent years, possibly now having conducted it as much, if not more, than Sir Adrian did, and the Philharmonia deserves credit as well, though, on a non-musical note, I personally do not care _AT_ _ALL_ for their familiarity with their online subscribers! <BR/><BR/>I am a regular listener to parts of _CD_ _Review_ each week, notably to the "Building A Library" features in which I am interested. I do not yet know which David you are, but may well have heard you previously. <BR/><BR/>Hoping that this finds you and your readers well,<BR/><BR/>J. V.<BR/><BR/>p.s. For what it is worth, I am legally blind, and thus need to use screen-reader software to navigate and write on the Internet and in E-Mails. I am _MOST_ pleased to report that your blog's writing fields are, unlike many (regretably including those in my own blog, which I had set up without knowing whether or not my colour/background choices were compatible), is compatible with said reader, thus allowing me to proofread and correct (and I needed to correct a couple of errors in the main post as well as making at least two changes here)! If you would care to say, what colour/background do you use here, which information could well help me set things up differently, both there and on this machine where possible?!JVaughanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07468133975019785693noreply@blogger.com