Portrait of St. John Henry Newman by Sir John Everett MillaisWhether in opera, cantatas or oratorios, it is rare that a libretto – a text of a large vocal composition – is penned by a venerated saint in the English language.
However, this is the case for British composer Edward Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius,” set to St. John Henry Newman’s poem of the same name.
“The Dream of Gerontius” came to my mind quite accidentally recently after I heard the news of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and I thought it would be worth sharing with readers of the Catholic News Herald. Listening to this work in its entirety was comforting as I prayed and thought about the late former pope. Elgar’s music and St. John Henry Newman’s words can provide hope and solace as we continue to mourn for the late former pope.
Elgar (1857-1934) was raised a Catholic. His mother converted to Catholicism five years before his birth at St. George’s Catholic Church in Worcester, where his father served as organist.
“The Dream of Gerontius” premiered in 1900 at the Birmingham Festival. Its numerous references to Catholic doctrine and emphasis on purgatory, was not well-received initially in Protestant England. The fact that the choirmaster had died days before the premiere and had to be replaced quickly also contributed to its poor reception. Regardless, it stands today as one of Elgar’s finest works.
The libretto is condensed from Newman’s original poem and is separated into two parts. Part I features the elderly man Gerontius (solo tenor) nearing death surrounded by a priest (bass solo) and companions (presented as choral sections). The text flows seamlessly between English, Latin, and even Greek for a brief Kyrie. While there are momentary sections of terror and fear, the overall mood is one of calmness, and the final words sung by Gerontius before his death are pleas to Jesus, Mary, and eventually St. Joseph, patron saint of the dying.
In Part II, the recently departed soul is accompanied by his guardian angel (solo mezzo soprano) journeying to the throne of God. In “The Judgment Now is Near,” the angel introduces the Angel of the Agony (solo bass), the angel who comforted Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before His Passion. According to the libretto, it is he that “best can plead with Him for all tormented souls, the dying, and the dead.” The movement ends with the Angel of Agony’s petition to Christ to spare the souls He loves so much. The composition ends with Gerontius’s guardian angel delivering his soul to purgatory, and singing that prayers and Masses said for him will be of great assistance. The souls in purgatory and an angelic choir accompany her as she bids farewell to Gerontius temporarily, for eventually, he will be in heaven.
— Christina L. Reitz, Ph.D., Special to the Catholic News Herald
More online
Listen to the final movement of “The Dream of Gerontius,” which includes English lyrics penned by St. John Henry Newman