Sir Hubert Parry |
We also heard the first movement of Parry's Cello Sonata in A Major (which dates from 1880, eight years before Judith) performed by Julia Desbruslais (cello) and William Vann. Julia Desbruslais is the principal cellist and executive director of the London Mozart Players (and LMP will be performing in Judith on 3 April). And Kathyrn Rudge, Julia Desbruslais and William Vann joined together to perform a work by Brahms, a composer much revered by Parry, Gestillte Sehnsucht Op.91, No.1 (originally written for mezzo-soprano, viola, piano). Kathryn Rudge and William Vann finished the evening with a group of English songs by younger contemporaries of Parry, including his students like Herbert Howells and Frank Bridge.
Prof. Jeremy Dibble [whom I recently interviewed about the revival of Stanford's Mass Via Victrix] provided a spoken introduction to Parry and his oratorio, making it clear that the oratorio was relatively ground breaking in Parry's output. It was his first essay in the genre, coming in 1888 at a time when he was still something of a challenging younger composer (he was 40) and coming after the great success of Blest Pair of Sirens.
Parry's Judith is at the Royal Festival Hall on 3 April 2019, William Vann conducts the Crouch End Festival Chorus and London Mozart Players, with soloists Eleanor Dennis (soprano), Kathryn Rudge (mezzo-soprano), Toby Spence (tenor) and Henry Waddington (bass). Full details from the Southbank Centre website.
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