The (Very Long) Song of Hiawatha

I believe this is the first work I had ever heard by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and its a doozy!

I understand Victorian Era oratorios are an acquired taste. Sometimes, even I am not up for them. They can be long and dragged out, their choral content can be overly lofty and musically square, and there can be a general unsatisfactory feeling when it concludes, even with a rousing finale.

Despite that, I love them all the same. You have to have a decent chunk of time set aside, and you have to be in for the long haul. Breaking it down by Parts is probably smart, similar to oratorio Handel wrote.

In the The Song of Hiawatha, there are three major portions, all totaling around two hours. The solos are a little flowery, and you have to really like chorus. Unless you are truly paying attention, reading the song texts will help sustain attention. Of course, you could find Longfellow's poem and read it aloud to your family, friends, and/or pets instead!

If it sounds like I am preparing my youngest child for a root canal, think again. I love this! Lots of choral singing, especially in the first portion, and this chorus is out to beat the band (and they do!). Coleridge-Taylor surprises by carrying themes across the work, so for the patient, there is musical thought sustained through the runtime. Not much here for orchestral lovers though; other than there is an orchestra.

The addition of the Symphonic Variations, a debt to Dvořák no doubt, is mere sauce for the goose! And something for orchestral lovers! Yay!💥

A review from 2019

As far I as can tell, this is the only complete recording available of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s 3-Act oratorio Song of Hiawatha. There are a few performances of Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, the first Act, with Malcolm Sargent being most notable, but I don’t think I have seen the rest anywhere else.

This recording of Kenneth Alwyn leading the Welsh National Opera with Helen Field, Arthur Davies, and Bryn Terfel was released three times: once on Argo , another on Decca with the visage of Bryn Terfel on the cover, and this purple Decca British Music Collection edition. The big difference here is the addition of Coleridge-Taylor’s (C-T from now on) Symphonic Variations on an African Air, not offered with the other releases.

A bit of a dusty Victorian oratorio, The Song of Hiawatha is nearly 2 hours of wall-to-wall choral singing with occasional soloist musings. African-British composer Coleridge-Taylor is a strong writer for orchestra and voice, particularly his use of recognizable melodic themes that are carried and used throughout the runtime. It’s a shame the rest of the oratorio isn’t visited as much, since the return of musical themes give the whole work emotional impact and musical depth.

However, it is easy to see why the Wedding Feast is the most played, for C-T dazzles us with many modulations and burly choral numbers. Act II, the Death of Minnehaha, carries over many of the ideas, but its mood is distinctively tragic. The final Act, Hiawatha’s Departure, showcases the soloists more strongly, and C-T gives us a highly-charged finale for our commitment to stick with this over-long work.

The vocal solos border on orchestrated parlour songs, with flowery vocal lines and repetitive structures. Helen Field and Bryn Terfel, in particular, push the solos a bit beyond its Victorian blandness, although the tenor solo in the first Act is pretty treacly and sing-song-y. In the final Act, the vocalists are allowed a little breathing room to portray their story dramatically, and it is much appreciated.

The chorus is the strongest focus of Hiawatha and thank goodness we have such committed and consistent singing from the Welsh National Opera Chorus. They are out to make this recording impactful and they sound hale and hearty. The orchestra is relegated to colour, momentum, and depth, but the brass, bass drum, and timpani receive strong highlights from C-T.

Symphonic Variations on an African Air allows C-T’s orchestral abilities to shine since Hiawatha has few purely instrumental passages. The tune is pretty strong, and he puts it through the wringer pretty well, although the uber-Romantic pushing and pulling gets to be a bit much for me. I can sense the Dvořák-ian nature of C-T’s colourful symphonic voice here, and its conclusion is most satisfying.

Decca’s sound is wonderful, and the texts included in the physical media are appreciated. The chorus is well heard, but words are not crystal clear against the orchestra, and there is a lot of thick, prose-like storytelling to pick up. It is great that we have such a strong performance of the complete Song of Hiawatha, but it is a shame no one has come back to it. I am not smitten with this music, but it is exciting and colourful, and I love the choral focus in this grand music making.

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Works
The Song of Hiawatha (1.59.41)
   I. Hiawatha's Wedding Feast (34.16)
   II. The Death of Minnehaha (36.59)
   III. Hiawatha's Departure (48.26)

Soloists
Helen Field, soprano
Arthur Davies, tenor
Bryn Terfel, baritone

Ensembles
Welsh National Opera Orchestra & Chorus
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductors
Kenneth Alwyn
Grant Llewellyn

Label: Decca
Year: 1993; 2002
Total Timing: 1.39.56

 

A swell recording for what may be the only full Hiawatha.

Plus Bryn Terfel is here! My wife loves listening to him.

She rarely says that about me...

Find more Coleridge-Taylor recordings HERE!