Anna Clyne, Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar BBCSO

[Sir Velo]

I must listen to the whole thing, now the 'Elgar Symphonies' thread has put me very much in the zone with three recent listens (Slatkin x2, Haitink and Boult LPO 1968 under my belt at the weekend)[/COLOR]

Time for an Elgar symphony cycle in other words, eh Caliban?

Er, I'll get me coat...

[Nick Armstrong]

Time for an Elgar symphony cycle in other words, eh Caliban?

Er, I'll get me coat...

I can never decide which Albert to choose...


(With apologies to S_A on the 14th Jan concert thread)

[salymap]

I said somewhere that Iwas rather looking forward to the interval talk about Elgar and his trusty bike, but as HS said, it wasn't on iPlayer so I haven't heard it.
Is there any way I can now hear it? Non technical please. Anyway as I have about seven books about EE and his marvellous letters I expect it's all there somewhere.

[Sir Velo]

Should be available under "Twenty Minutes", salymap. Failing that you should be able to hear it if you listen to Part I of the concert as, despite its title, this includes the whole concert (including the interval feature). No great revelations but a pleasant interlude.

[Nick Armstrong]

I said somewhere that Iwas rather looking forward to the interval talk about Elgar and his trusty bike, but as HS said, it wasn't on iPlayer so I haven't heard it.
Is there any way I can now hear it? Non technical please. Anyway as I have about seven books about EE and his marvellous letters I expect it's all there somewhere.

Saly check your PMs in about 15 minutes!

[Nick Armstrong]

....the symphony performance. Haven't listened to it all yet, which perhaps invalidates any comment, but I shared saly's and others' view that there was 'something wrong' with the opening... it seemed neither one thing nor the other, neither lugubrious, wistful, quietly determined... just a bit hesitant. I must listen to the whole thing

I've now been able to listen to the whole of Litton's performance of Elgar 1 a couple of times on headphones. I take back my reservation about the opening (the perils of listening to part of something, with half an ear).

The performance, as a whole and in detail, is wonderful I think (with the possible exception of the very final bars) - fabulously played, and very well paced and balanced by Litton. A touch more prominence given to the horns than others I've heard, and for my money none the worse for that. I heard detail I've never heard before, and yet the performance has shape and drive... and the start... the start I now love, it has a hushed, numb quality, as if the emotion of the work arises from a very private sorrow or nostalgia. It's a performance I shall return to - thanks to those above (not least Roger Judd ) who prompted me to download it