Sir John Barbirolli

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

.

Barbirolli ‘s Elgar 2 is the one which Richard Morrison described as “ staid and stolid” . My response to that would have the Mods getting their bad language delete buttons out.

Sometimes I just play the Larghetto from that recording - the part you describe with the harps is emotionally overwhelming and a desert island disc for me.

Agree with all that. Though JB’s earlier mono recording is quite a bit swifter. But in the case of the 1964 recording, I know of no reading of the Larghetto that gets so close to the heart of this music.

[vibratoforever]

Agree with all that. Though JB’s earlier mono recording is quite a bit swifter. But in the case of the 1964 recording, I know of no reading of the Larghetto that gets so close to the heart of this music.

My preferred performance of Elgar 2 is that with the Boston SO. The Larghetto, with the Boston strings, is possibly even finer than the 64 recording and there is a very exciting performance of the Rondo.
-
(A cd set of three symphony performances - Elgar 2, Sibelius 2 and Haydn 82 - with BSO can be found easily online at a less than a tenner!)

[akiralx]

I remember seeing that Monitor programme repeated in the late 1980s and it made me want to buy as many Barbirolli records as I could but also the rehearsal sequence of the opening of the third movement of Bruckner 7 made me interested in Bruckner who my early experiences of had not been that prepossessing.

I assume the Zion Institute, Mulberry Street, Manchester (recalling Sir Huw Wheldon's grave tone) is no longer standing...

[johnb]

It appears to still exist: https://manchesterhistory.net/manche...side/zion.html

(In that part of the film I found the vacant spaces, in the surrounding area, where the houses had been bombed very moving and evocative.)

[Barbirollians]

My preferred performance of Elgar 2 is that with the Boston SO. The Larghetto, with the Boston strings, is possibly even finer than the 64 recording and there is a very exciting performance of the Rondo.
-
(A cd set of three symphony performances - Elgar 2, Sibelius 2 and Haydn 82 - with BSO can be found easily online at a less than a tenner!)

Is that the Memories issue ?

[vibratoforever]

Is that the Memories issue ?

Yes. The Elgar performance is the one that first appeared on Music and Arts label. A second performance in the sequence of concerts in 64 appeared briefly (Intaglio?) but it was a bit quicker, closer to the 1954 HMV recording

[cloughie]

Yes. The Elgar performance is the one that first appeared on Music and Arts label. A second performance in the sequence of concerts in 64 appeared briefly (Intaglio?) but it was a bit quicker, closer to the 1954 HMV recording

I have the Intaglio coupled with the Purcell Suite. I never knew there was more than one recording. In checking Amazon I see that the Memories label has some incredible looking recordings (many of them live) of great conductors of the past (Szell, Beecham, Stokowski, Klemperer, E Kleiber, Koussevitzy, Knappertsbusch and others) at £5.90 plus £1.26 p&p, shipped from Japan - all looks too too good to be true- many of them multiple sets - has anyone any of these and if so what is the sound quality like?

[mikealdren]

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?20166-Memories-Excellence-Memories-Reverence-labels

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I’m taking my time with the big Warner box set.
The transfers far exceed my expectations. The downside is the poor documentation - the lack of track listings in the very small booklet being the worst thing. Do they really expect people to trawl through the box, reading each cardboard sleeve to find a performance? The answer must be ‘yes’.
Also there’s some carelessness; e.g. the original LP of the 1968 Peer Gynt incidental music was not an HMV issue, but a Columbia Studio Two one.

It’s sad that Warner have to try so hard to erase EMI from the history books, by obliterating Pye, HMV and Columbia labelling from their ‘original’ album covers, replacing them with the rather characterless Warner one. (At least we don’t get Bugs Bunny.)

[johnb]

It’s sad that Warner have to try so hard to erase EMI from the history books, by obliterating Pye, HMV and Columbia labelling from their ‘original’ album covers, replacing them with the rather characterless Warner one. (At least we don’t get Bugs Bunny.)

I find it bizarre.

While ripping to HDD I played with one of the sleeve scans, replacing Warner with the original HMV:

(By the way, if anyone is masochistic enough to envisage ripping the set to HDD - send me a PM.)

[visualnickmos]

I have the Intaglio coupled with the Purcell Suite. I never knew there was more than one recording. In checking Amazon I see that the Memories label has some incredible looking recordings (many of them live) of great conductors of the past (Szell, Beecham, Stokowski, Klemperer, E Kleiber, Koussevitzy, Knappertsbusch and others) at £5.90 plus £1.26 p&p, shipped from Japan - all looks too too good to be true- many of them multiple sets - has anyone any of these and if so what is the sound quality like?

I've tried searching at some point, but I can't find anything when I search on Az under 'memories excellence' Do you have any tips on how to find them? Thanks

[cloughie]

I find it bizarre.

While ripping to HDD I played with one of the sleeve scans, replacing Warner with the original HMV:

(By the way, if anyone is masochistic enough to envisage ripping the set to HDD - send me a PM.)

It’s possibly not so much erasing Nipper or the Columbia notes so much as ownership of the trademark - I think Warner own the Parlophone logo, but it is noticeable what has happened with other companies Eg I don’t think that Decca can use the Philips logo as All the old Duos now are Decca and Gergiev’s and Uncle Bernie and Colin Davis, once mainstays of the Philips label now bear the Decca Red and Blue though Mercury and DGG still use their own stamps!

[LHC]

It’s possibly not so much erasing Nipper or the Columbia notes so much as ownership of the trademark - I think Warner own the Parlophone logo, but it is noticeable what has happened with other companies Eg I don’t think that Decca can use the Philips logo as All the old Duos now are Decca and Gergiev’s and Uncle Bernie and Colin Davis, once mainstays of the Philips label now bear the Decca Red and Blue though Mercury and DGG still use their own stamps!

I think you are correct. The EMI label and logo was retained by Virgin-EMI, and is now owned by Universal. I think Warner only purchased the back catalogue, and not the label.

[vibratoforever]

I've tried searching at some point, but I can't find anything when I search on Az under 'memories excellence' Do you have any tips on how to find them? Thanks

I found some by going to the Az site, then typing the name of a conductor followed by "Memories"

[visualnickmos]

I found some by going to the Az site, then typing the name of a conductor followed by "Memories"

Many thanks. Sorry I'm not so techno-minded !