Our complete demo recording of Paul Corfield Godfrey's Epic Scenes from The Silmarillion after the mythology of J. R. R. Tolkien, Part Four: The Fall of Gondolin.
Stock of individual parts of The Silmarillion are low, if this item is out of stock then it will still be available as part of the Complete Silmarillion Box Set.
Prima Facie Records is pleased to announce the release of The Fall of Gondolin (complete demo recording) PFCD092/093
FALL OF GONDOLIN
During the period 1982-97 Welsh composer Paul Corfield Godfrey produced a series of ‘epic scenes’ drawn from J R R Tolkien’s posthumous writings for The Silmarillion, employing a large variety of posthumously published texts by the author with the permission of the Tolkien Estate. The cycle, extending in performance over four evenings, is the largest-scale work of classical music written in Wales in the twentieth century, demanding a full roster of solo singers, chorus and an orchestra of some eighty players, but has only ever been performed in excerpts until now.
Following on the success last year of the CD of the composer’s music including the piano rondo Akallabêth and other Tolkien works, Prima Facie Records in collaboration with Volante Opera Productions now presents the first instalment in a complete recording of the epic scenes, to be released in a series of double CD albums. In a review last year Chris Seeman of the Tolkien Music Website wrote: “In the annals of Tolkien-inspired music, Paul Corfield Godfrey is the proverbial oliphaunt in the closet” and expressed a hope that more of his work would be recorded in the near future. Accordingly this set of The Fall of Gondolin will be followed next year by a release of Beren and Lúthien, to be followed in due course by The Children of Húrin and Fëanor.
The singers are all professional artists from Welsh National Opera, and the sets will make available for the first time a fully representative recording of the music with the complete lyrics by Tolkien. Because of budgetary and other constraints, the orchestra is represented by sampled sets (using the sounds of real instruments) which have been carefully balanced and adjusted in collaboration with the composer to obtain as close a result to the sound of an actual orchestra as possible. The booklet with this set of The Fall of Gondolin explains the methods of production in greater detail, and also includes an essay by the composer on the manner in which the author’s text has been adapted for music.
In a review last year of the composer’s Akallabêth, Göran Forsling referred to his music as “accessible and captivating”. Brian Wilson in another review compared his Tolkien songs to the Housman settings of Vaughan Williams, and observed that he would not be surprised if “some of Godfrey’s music becomes as well-loved as the Vaughan Williams.” We would hope that audiences will enjoy the further exploration of this extensive work.
Ulmo, Lord of the Waters (Bass): Martin Lloyd
Turgon, the King of Gondolin (Bass): George Newton-Fitzgerald
Aredhel, his sister (Mezzo-Soprano): Louise Ratcliffe
Eöl, a dark Elf (Baritone): Julian Boyce
Maeglin, son of Eol and Aredhel (Bass-Baritone): Stephen Wells
Ecthelion, Captain of the Guard of Gondolin (Baritone): Philip Lloyd-Evans
Tuor son of Huor, a mortal man (Tenor): Simon Crosby Buttle
Voronwë, a mariner of Gondolin (Baritone): Julian Boyce
Idril Celebrindal, Daughter of Turgon (Soprano): Anitra Blaxhall
Morgoth, the enemy (Bass): Laurence Cole
Chorus of unseen voices and people of Gondolin:
Anitra Blaxhall/Emma Mary Llewellyn/Louise Ratcliffe/Helen Greenaway/
Michael Clifton-Thompson/Simon Crosby Buttle/Julian Boyce/Laurence Cole