Parry: Judith

 

In 2023, Chandos released another large-scale choral/orchestral work from Hubert Parry with this same orchestra, chorus, and conductor (BLOG). Having started with that later recording, I lamented a number of elements, both within the composition itself and in the performance. While I don't think the oratorio Judith will go unscathed in the following paragraphs, this is a much finer work compared to Parry's earlier Prometheus Unbound.

The story of Judith is widely considered more of a legend or parable than historical or even religiously canonical. She is widely known for using her feminine wiles in order to behead an invading army's commander, allowing Israel to triumph over the Assyrians in the name of The Lord.

The biggest problem with Judith is that the titular character is not the focus of Parry's oratorio. Instead, Act I tells of Manasseh, King of Israel, who has allowed the false God Moloch to be worshiped in his kingdom, a deity who requires the sacrifice of Manasseh's children in order to be appeased. It is unclear, but I believe the children were spared the sacrificial rites due to the distraction of the invading army mentioned earlier. Suffice to say, Moloch does not save his people, thus Manasseh and his Kingdom turn to the Hebrew God in Act II.

Despite the rather dry and confusing plot description I gave above, this is the best part of Parry's oratorio. The crowds are cowering in fear of the evil God Moloch, the priests want blood to appease their God, and the King is actually portrayed as a loving father despite all of this. It works wonderfully as an action packed musical drama. Even the second scene of Act I, where the children's mother Meshullemeth gives the opening Act the rare bit of comforting lyricism.

Even though she is not part of this story biblically, Judith pops in unannounced with no reason whatsoever to even be there, other than the title of the work bears her name. She warns the mother of her the King's ill intent, and trys to berate the crowd gathering for the sacrifice to remind them of their forgotten God. At least the crowd eventually reacts to her presence, yelling to burn and boil her; we don't get any such acknowledgement from the children's mother that Judith was actually there.

Act II continues the tale. King Manasseh has repented his worship of false Gods in Babylon, and returns to find everyone else returning to The Lord. They still have the problem of the invading Assyrian army, whose has promised to drink their blood and scatter their bodies if they don't surrender. Judith has the answer; she will stalk the Assyrian's camp at night, ingratiate herself into the opposing General's tent, and slay the commander, thus providing a ripe time to destroy the invaders while chaos and confusion exist in the opposition's camp.

Here comes the problem. Judith is given a couple of lines about leaving the city to help out, while everyone else is singing about their hope in God. While she is gone, they continue to sing to the delight of The Lord. When Judith returns, she sings a line about her having the head of the General, and then more people sing about the love of The Lord. Much later, King Mannaseh regales a cliff-notes version of what Judith did, and then more proclaiming the greatness of God.

What is my problem? Well, we are given all of this juicy action about sacrificing children to evil Gods, and the repentance thereof, but then when Judith leaves to seduce an army commander in order to help win a war, the listener is provided five minutes tops of her exploits, but the action is not relayed in the present, or even given a first-hand account. It really is quite disappointing. If the Victorians can accept the killing of children by priests drunken with power, why can't we hear a tale about a woman murdering an army captain in order to save her land and aid her God?

As to the music of Judith, I was really taken with Act I in particular. Sure, there is a lot of blood-curdling choruses, but the mother's teachings to her children of the old ways is really quite beautiful. Only the cheesy rhyming verse distracts from a rather lovely vocal solo.

Act II isn't bad per se. Actually, the opening chorus is quite different than everything else, with biting, dissonant sigh motives in a Renaissance or Baroque manner. Otherwise, there are a lot of lyrical choruses and solos where characters must speak of the past sins the listener witnessed in Act I, many woe betides regarding the impossible position they are in with invaders at their doorstep, and a strange scene at night where the cast continues to sing of Jerusalem and Israel instead of Judith's sacrifice - three scenes worth!

Of course, each Act ends with a magnificent choral number, fugues and all. Humorously, the chorus as a character is easily persuaded by whomever is singing loudly. They love Moloch and want Judith killed; they are are frightened their loved ones will need to be sacrificed, but are joyous when they learn it will be the King's children. Then the chorus is without hope for survival once invaded, and speedily take in God as their refuge, eventually in celebratory final number once Judith returns. They are a fickle bunch! That said, there are actually quite a few choruses of worth throughout, many with different temperaments and settings. In a few of the numbers, I even sense a Baroque, Handel-ian influence.

First and foremost, the chorus and soloists are excellent across the board. The soloists make their characters come alive, and in the case of Judith, as much as Parry will allow. The London Mozart Players have a smaller string section than typical of a work such as this on Chandos, but I was not distracted by that here as much as I was in Prometheus Unbound. William Vann moves matters along nicely and Chandos provides a fine engineered product.

Act I is 60 minutes while Act II is 70 minutes, although I was happy enough with the music and story to not really notice the time go by. On the other hand, 15 - 20 minutes is all the listener really needed from Act II, at least with the material as presented here. Conversely, these are performances of worth, ones I will happily revisit.

 

 

Works
Judith or
  The Regeneration of Manasseh

Soloists
Sarah Fox, soprano
Kathryn Ridge, mezzo-soprano
Toby Spence, tenor
Henry Waddington, baritone

Ensembles
Crouch End Festival Chorus
London Mozart Players
William Vann, conductor

Year: 2020
Label: Chandos
Total Timing: 2.11.12

I was so ecstatic after Act I of Judith, I was convinced this would be a top-rated recording. 

The temperature is not carried through Act II, although the production continues to be appealing musically.

 

Find more Parry recordings HERE!