Five Essential Elgar Recordings - your five?

[Parry1912]

I'm awaiting a call.

Or perhaps Gramophone could have you in place of Edward Seckerson (and his musicals ).

[pastoralguy]

Announcement at the Fairfield Hall in Croydon at the start of a concert in the mid 1980s....
'Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's soloist Salvatore Accardo is unfortunately indisposed and will be replaced in the Elgar violin concerto by the young British violinist Nigel Kennedy'.
I'm not sure whether whether it proved to be his 'breakthrough' performance, but it was very well received on the night.

I first heard Nig in 1977 when he played with the SNO. After that, the SNO went through a phase of violin soloists cancelling and their 'go to' replacement was Nigel Kennedy. It was obvious that this chap had a special talent. I was a bit cheesed when I asked an SNO member why he no longer played with them. 'Oh, he's WAY too expensive now!' Was the reply.

Ah well, such is the way of the music business.

[Alison]

Or perhaps Gramophone could have you in place of Edward Seckerson (and his musicals ).

A rather irritating ES review of the new Elgar 2 from BBCSO/Gardner. It’s a really fine version IMHO which is damned with faint praise.

[Barbirollians]

Edward Seckerson review irritating ? Surely not .

[LMcD]

I'm beginning to wonder whether the performance that I saw in Croydon was a bit earlier than I thought. I can't be sure, but I think that he was playing with the LPO under Klaus Tennstedt. We moved to Suffolk in 1986.

[ahinton]

I suspect that at least one member here would struggle to accept a thread with "essential" and "Elgar" in the title!...

[cloughie]

I suspect that at least one member here would struggle to accept a thread with "essential" and "Elgar" in the title!...

Are we bothered?

Many other of us would manage 10 or 20!

[visualnickmos]

Many other of us would manage 10 or 20!

Very true - but I'm finding it quite impossible to streamline my choice down to 10 or 20!

One definite, would be Andrew Davis conducting the BBC SO in Falstaff. Love this rendition.

[Petrushka]

I'm beginning to wonder whether the performance that I saw in Croydon was a bit earlier than I thought. I can't be sure, but I think that he was playing with the LPO under Klaus Tennstedt. We moved to Suffolk in 1986.

Hmm, not sure Tennstedt would have performed the Elgar. However, KT did record the Brahms VC with Nigel Kennedy. Could it have been that?

[LMcD]

You're very probably right..it was definitely Nigel Kennedy and it was definitely the Elgar concerto, but my memory isn't as - what's the word? - as it used to be!
It appears that there has been some controversy in recent times about the Fairfield Halls, with Nigel Kennedy among those contributing to the debate.

[Once Was 4]

I first heard Nig in 1977 when he played with the SNO. After that, the SNO went through a phase of violin soloists cancelling and their 'go to' replacement was Nigel Kennedy. It was obvious that this chap had a special talent. I was a bit cheesed when I asked an SNO member why he no longer played with them. 'Oh, he's WAY too expensive now!' Was the reply.

Ah well, such is the way of the music business.

Hmmm! I remember playing in a performance of the Elgar concerto with 'Nige' at the University of York. At the conclusion, 'Nige' responded to the conductor's proffered hand not with a shake but by pretending to spit on his own hand and then engaging the conductor in a 'high five'. The reaction of the orchestra (which had a high proportion then of young and trendy professionals) including myself was "wonderful violinist but what a pillock!" To an extent I still think that but, looking at history, would Elgar and W.H. Reed, if looking down from on high, regard this as a 'jape' and laugh with 'Nige'?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

On listening to Kate Kennedy's broadcast list, I nearly bit my tongue off when she constantly talked about The Dream of Jerontius, and how gid it was.

[Pabmusic]

On listening to Kate Kennedy's broadcast list, I nearly bit my tongue off when she constantly talked about The Dream of Jerontius, and how gid it was.

I blame all those geriatrics. :)

[Stanfordian]

Jeronimo!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Jertcha!