Five Essential Elgar Recordings - your five?

[Pianoman]

If you’re on about the 1st, it is the LSO, the second is the RPO......

[visualnickmos]

What's Previn like 'doing' Elgar?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What's Previn like 'doing' Elgar?

See (& hear) fr yourself, visnick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxnxg7JI6a8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shcbL8DsHXg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWDNC-e8P7U

... I think he's very good, but not among my "top five",

[Alison]

What's Previn like 'doing' Elgar?

The First Symphony is the best of his recordings. There’s also a rather fine set of Pomp and Circumstance marches. Just once every couple of years I enjoy listening to them as a set!

I’ve never seen the set of five programmed for a concert, something I’d like to experience...

[LMcD]

(Sir) Mark Elder and the Halle have also made some fine Elgar recordings.

[Alison]

(Sir) Mark Elder and the Halle have also made some fine Elgar recordings.

I find greater pleasure in the James Loughran recordings.

[pastoralguy]

The First Symphony is the best of his recordings. There’s also a rather fine set of Pomp and Circumstance marches. Just once every couple of years I enjoy listening to them as a set!

I’ve never seen the set of five programmed for a concert, something I’d like to experience...

Quite agree, Alison. The horns at the end of the First Symphony are simply magnificent! Alas, imho, the recording of the Second Symphony is a dud. It never really catches fire. It sounds like a studio run through on awet Monday morning.

I've played the Five P&C Marches in concert. Very effective they were too. (Except that a certain part of the audience INSISTED on applauding after each one despite being asked not to by the conductor!)

[Alison]

Quite agree, Alison. The horns at the end of the First Symphony are simply magnificent! Alas, imho, the recording of the Second Symphony is a dud. It never really catches fire. It sounds like a studio run through on awet Monday morning.

I've played the Five P&C Marches in concert. Very effective they were too. (Except that a certain part of the audience INSISTED on applauding after each one despite being asked not to by the conductor!)

I remember being in London on the day the Previn Second was released and was so excited to get home and play it in advance of reading any reviews. What a letdown! Maybe just not his piece.

Have just taken delivery of the new Gardner which will be my listening for the evening,

[visualnickmos]

The First Symphony is the best of his recordings. There’s also a rather fine set of Pomp and Circumstance marches. Just once every couple of years I enjoy listening to them as a set!

I’ve never seen the set of five programmed for a concert, something I’d like to experience...

Thank you. I think it's certainly worth looking out for a second-hand set, as I seem to have a few sets of Elgar's symphonies already - all of which I enjoy very much.

[Barbirollians]

Depressingly the Barbirolli EMI symphonies now seem to be download only whilst the Handley CFP accounts are nla.

[Petrushka]

I find greater pleasure in the James Loughran recordings.

I heard Loughran and the Halle in both Elgar symphonies in Manchester in the 1970s.

As for the P&C Marches, I've only ever heard 1 and 4 in concert and would love to hear the complete set. I have a soft spot for No 5.

[AmpH]

Elgar's Violin Concerto is his one ( imvho ) indisputable masterpiece and his only work I constantly return to. So my five essential Elgar recordings are all of this work :-

Alfredo Campoli / LPO / Boult
Pinchas Zukerman / LPO / Barenboim
Hugh Bean / RLPO / Groves
Kennedy / CBSO / Rattle
James Ehnes / Philharmonia / Davis

[Barbirollians]

Elgar's Violin Concerto is his one ( imvho ) indisputable masterpiece and his only work I constantly return to. So my five essential Elgar recordings are all of this work :-

Alfredo Campoli / LPO / Boult
Pinchas Zukerman / LPO / Barenboim
Hugh Bean / RLPO / Groves
Kennedy / CBSO / Rattle
James Ehnes / Philharmonia / Davis

Whilst I agree it is an indisputable masterpiece - it is far from alone in his output

My five indispensable recordings of it would be

Menuhin/LSO/Elgar
Menuhin/LPO/Boult
Kennedy/Handley
Ida Haendel/ CBSO/Rattle live
Campoli/Boult

Though I should not like to be without the Bean, Heifetz,Zukerman, Perlman and Sammons recordings.

[Alison]

I heard Loughran and the Halle in both Elgar symphonies in Manchester in the 1970s.

As for the P&C Marches, I've only ever heard 1 and 4 in concert and would love to hear the complete set. I have a soft spot for No 5.

Do try the Previn P&C’s (RPO) if you don’t have that disc already.

[Petrushka]

As for the P&C Marches, I've only ever heard 1 and 4 in concert and would love to hear the complete set. I have a soft spot for No 5.

To my shame, I've just remembered that I've heard No 5 in concert, too: Philharmonia/Haitink in 1984.