Elgar Violin Concerto - Boult: Which version?

[ARBurton]

The composer conducting really is hors de concours, but Sammons/Wood is excellent. I now have 4 Tasmin Little performances including the Chandos Studio which Gramophone said was a world-beater, but I still don`t quite think it is.My favourite stereo remains Nigel Kennedy and Vernon Handley. But that might be because I haven`t yet found a copy of the Hugh Bean recording..

[Tony Halstead]

Hi Nick,
Elgar's VC was a very personal work in its inspiration and is similarly personal in its interpretation. We are coming to see that at its heart lie the various women in EE's life. It is telling that one of the greatest recorded performances is from a woman: Ida Haendel. I do not think I am exaggerating if I say that Ida Haendel (who is still with us) is the most popular violinist on the FoR3 boards. Haendel gives us powerful muscularity, singing tone and wonderfully rich poetic expression. She will probably be one of the two violinists whose recordings are mostly suggested here; the other being Alfredo Campoli also with Boult. I feel confident that those two players will be high. Other players creep into the realms of personal taste: Bean, Ehnes, Heifetz, Kennedy, Menuhin, Zehetmair, Znaider. I believe that Campoli and Haendel soaked in something Elgarian from Boult.

I bought that Campoli/ Boult LP - 2nd-hand even then - in about 1961 as a schoolboy.
After school ( Chetham's in Manchester long before it became a specialist music school) I rushed home, played it on my 'Dansette' LP turntable, and then stayed in my room for 2 or 3 hours playing it over and over.
Eventually my mother came into my room to tell me that my 'supper' had gone cold, finding me very tearful, and she simply not understanding 'why'.
To this day, when I want to listen to the Elgar Vln concerto, the recording I turn to 'by default' is that very one by Campoli.

[Barbirollians]

Zehetmair/Elder is probably the best of the very recent versions though I do like the Znaider which clearly is very much in the debt of the Menuhin/Elgar. Both knock Tazza into a cocked hat .

Having heard Znaider perform the concerto superbly with the Halle /Elder at the end of his marathon year of playing the concerto I wish he had waited to record it .

[Barbirollians]

I bought that Campoli/ Boult LP - 2nd-hand even then - in about 1961 as a schoolboy.
After school ( Chetham's in Manchester long before it became a specialist music school) I rushed home, played it on my 'Dansette' LP turntable, and then stayed in my room for 2 or 3 hours playing it over and over.
Eventually my mother came into my room to tell my that my 'supper' had gone cold, finding me very tearful and simply not understanding 'why'.
To this day, when I want to listen to the Elgar Vln concerto, the recording I turn to 'by default' is that very one by Campoli.

I had a similar experience if rather more prosaic with Menuhin/Boult . I missed my stop listening to it on the train on my Walkman and had an hour's round trip to get back - so I played it again !

The Campoli is rather lovely though - if I remember rightly salymap is another fan of the recording. In fact the Ehnes & Little/Davis recordings areabout the only ones I do not like much .

[amateur51]

I bought that Campoli/ Boult LP - 2nd-hand even then - in about 1961 as a schoolboy.
After school ( Chetham's in Manchester long before it became a specialist music school) I rushed home, played it on my 'Dansette' LP turntable, and then stayed in my room for 2 or 3 hours playing it over and over.
Eventually my mother came into my room to tell my that my 'supper' had gone cold, finding me very tearful and simply not understanding 'why'.
To this day, when I want to listen to the Elgar Vln concerto, the recording I turn to 'by default' is that very one by Campoli.

Great story, walhorn - you have moved me to get this recording

I borrowed the Elgar/Menuhin recording from the local North Wales record library when I was about 20 and I was listening to it on the family radiogram when my mother came in her with duster & usual air of 'let's be having you, what are you doing inside when you could be outside getting some fresh air?'. She flitted her duster around a few ornaments and suddenly she stoppped and to my amazement & delight asked "what's this?" and so I told her.

To be fair she listened without comment or additional dusting for a couple of minutes so that I felt that perhaps some communication might be possible and then she snapped out of it and went on her merry way with "well he needn't have bothered really, need he?!"

The joys of living beyond your move-by date at the family home

[verismissimo]

The 1932 recording is very good. Give it a try one day.

Wouldn't be without it!

[Petrushka]

I have several mentioned in this thread but got to know the work (after many previous attempts) from the Perlman/Barenboim disc 30 years ago which really hit the spot for me in a very big way. Even after the passing of the years it still reminds me so much of a girl with whom I was particularly friendly at the time.

Coincidentally, I purchased the Kyung Wha Chung/Solti second hand only last week and think it's wonderful. Much under-rated recording, I'd suggest.

[Barbirollians]

I have several mentioned in this thread but got to know the work (after many previous attempts) from the Perlman/Barenboim disc 30 years ago which really hit the spot for me in a very big way. Even after the passing of the years it still reminds me so much of a girl with whom I was particularly friendly at the time.

Coincidentally, I purchased the Kyung Wha Chung/Solti second hand only last week and think it's wonderful. Much under-rated recording, I'd suggest.

True another cracker and it was once coupled with her breathtaking Walton on CD.

[AmpH]

The Elgar is one of the indisputably great VC's IMO. I first got to know it via the Bean / Groves recording which remains high in my affections along with Sammons, Zukerman and Chung - the latter as has been noted above is consistently underrated and can still be obtained cheaply on a CfM release. Of the more modern recordings, I particularly enjoy both Kennedy's and Ehnes. I like the Perlman as a performance, but find the ' up front ' recording projection of the violin to be too much.

I have only come to the Menuhin / Boult recording relatively recently but it is really growing on me and I prefer it to the more famous early Menuhin - then again I always preferred Sammons to this anyway.

The Campoli I do not know but intend to purchase in view of the many recommendations on this forum - it seems to be currently available on a Beulah cd.

The recordings I simply cannot get on with are Hahn and Zehetmair. In particular, with the latter, there is something about his playing which I find matter of fact and simply uninvolving - I recall feeling exactly the same about his much praised Beethoven concerto ( with Bruggen ) some years ago.

[Barbirollians]

The Elgar is one of the indisputably great VC's IMO. I first got to know it via the Bean / Groves recording which remains high in my affections along with Sammons, Zukerman and Chung - the latter as has been noted above is consistently underrated and can still be obtained cheaply on a CfM release. Of the more modern recordings, I particularly enjoy both Kennedy's and Ehnes. I like the Perlman as a performance, but find the ' up front ' recording projection of the violin to be too much.

I have only come to the Menuhin / Boult recording relatively recently but it is really growing on me and I prefer it to the more famous early Menuhin - then again I always preferred Sammons to this anyway.

The Campoli I do not know but intend to purchase in view of the many recommendations on this forum - it seems to be currently available on a Beulah cd.

The recordings I simply cannot get on with are Hahn and Zehetmair. In particular, with the latter, there is something about his playing which I find matter of fact and simply uninvolving - I recall feeling exactly the same about his much praised Beethoven concerto ( with Bruggen ) some years ago.

Agree about the Hahn - she skates over the surface of the music and considering her expensive collaborators it is a serious disappointment . Ehnes plays very beautifully but the performance just lacks structure to my ears . I think Zehetmair is cracking though

[Beef Oven]

I expect no-one to go with me on this, but I adore Dong-Suk Kang, PRSO, Adrian Leaper Naxos. Light, swift, athletic, breathes so much life into the score.

[AmpH]

Agree about the Hahn - she skates over the surface of the music and considering her expensive collaborators it is a serious disappointment . Ehnes plays very beautifully but the performance just lacks structure to my ears . I think Zehetmair is cracking though

The good thing about this concerto in particular is that there are a good number and variety of performances available so that there really should be something for everyone - providing you like the concerto that is ! My aversion to Zehetmair seems to be a general one, not just his Elgar VC. The one exception to date being his disc of Ysaye Sonatas which I find astonishing, both musically and technically.

[Barbirollians]

I expect no-one to go with me on this, but I adore Dong-Suk Kang, PRSO, Adrian Leaper Naxos. Light, swift, athletic, breathes so much life into the score.

The opening poster is with you . I like it but it is well down the list of my favourites.

[Beef Oven]

The opening poster is with you . I like it but it is well down the list of my favourites.

I did not look so far back as to the first post!

Well, at least two minds go for the Dong-Suk Kang/Leaper.

[Pabmusic]

...The Campoli I do not know but intend to purchase in view of the many recommendations on this forum - it seems to be currently available on a Beulah cd.

Or on the cheap 'Boult conducts Elgar' set of 1950s recordings mentioned in post 4, which may be easier to find that the Beulah. Here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005EVV612/ref=dm_dp_cdp?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1335190512&sr=8-2