About
Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius — widely regarded as the English composer's greatest achievement — brings together 180 singers and musicians on the Koncertsalen stage for a sweeping musical portrayal of an ordinary person's journey through death and into the afterlife.
The work is based on a poem by English Cardinal John Henry Newman, which deeply moved Elgar despite his own wavering Catholic faith. He set it for large choir, three soloists and orchestra, creating a piece sometimes compared to Wagner's Parsifal in its metaphysical grandeur and extraordinary harmonic beauty.
Conductor Vasily Petrenko, who drew wide acclaim for his performance of Elgar's Symphony No. 1 in 2017, leads the DR Symfoniorkestret and the DR Koncertkor through this uplifting meditation on human mortality. Petrenko is based in England and brings a deep familiarity with the Elgar tradition to this programme.
Two performances are scheduled: an evening concert on Wednesday 22 April at 19:30, and a matinée on Friday 24 April at 14:00.