Re: Stanford : Fairy Day; Review by Paul Corfield Godfrey
These things can be very subjective and also dependent upon context. I have no view on the text in question, being unacquainted with it, but I have, for example, often defended Cardinal - soon to be Saint John Henry - Newman's libretto for "The Dream of Gerontius" as moving and skilful poetry, whereas others have excoriated it for its supposed pious sentimentality. Furthermore, the music itself can often elevate indifferent verse; I think again of Elgar, but would this time cite some of the songs in his "Sea Pictures" - or perhaps various opera libretti whose quality is questionable but are transfigured by sublime music. I'm sure PCG will agree that we reviewers are on occasion tempted by the desire to make an impact with a rhetorical flourish into being rather more acid then we should - I've certainly done it myself then felt rather ashamed of my churlishness.
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