Elgar: Symphonies Nos 1 and 2

[BBMmk2]

I must visit EE's birthplace! on my list!! Any good places to stay, reasonably priced?

[amateur51]

I remember Newprt Court mainly for "West End Misfits" (or was it Wallers?) where we could buy second hand Morning dress (Black Jacket and Pin Stripe Trousers) for daytime concerts and Dinner Jackets and Tail Coats for evening ware.
All clothes were in top condition and the shop was much patronised by pecunious musicians and restaurant staff.

HS

Wallers I think, HS. Gosh what memories this brings back

[ahinton]

I must visit EE's birthplace! on my list!!

You certainly should - and it's not as commercialised as at least one poster here suggests (or at least it wasn't when last I visited, which admittedly was more than 10 years ago).

[amateur51]

You certainly should - and it's not as commercialised as at least one poster here suggests (or at least it wasn't when last I visited, which admittedly was more than 10 years ago).

News of your visit could well have changed that then, ahinton

[ahinton]

News of your visit could well have changed that then, ahinton

I rather doubt it, especially given the non-newsworthiness of said visit, although it could nevertheless have changed anyway, I suppose; I sincerely hope that it hasn't, however, as I rather liked the way that it was being run and how it was set out, although do admit to feeling a terrible urge to go and find a brick when I saw the full score ms. of the Second Symphony safely illuminated behind glass...

Other composer birthplaces seem to be having a bad time of it these days; we've few surviving ones in England, the Ives one was threatened with demolition some while ago and now I understand that the Enescu one is at risk...

[Pabmusic]

I...I rather liked the way that it was being run and how it was set out, although do admit to feeling a terrible urge to go and find a brick when I saw the full score ms. of the Second Symphony safely illuminated behind glass...

In the late 70s (79, or possibly 80) I visited - not my first visit - and got into a long conversation with the then curator, which included his opening the display case and taking out the 2nd Symphony score, which we studied and discussed for some time. This must have been a weekday, as I don't recall anyone else being there. But I handled the score! Undoubtedly I touched it at all sites of present deterioration.

[salymap]

When we visited the Birthplace in 1954 the lady said we couldlook at anything as she was waylaid by an American man with a lot to say.
We discovered boxes of letters to EE from, as far as I can remember, GBS, Boult, Sargent, ill in hospital, and lots more. It was very interesting. Then she came back in the room ans said 'You naughty girls' .
Well she did say anything. The correspondence was for Diana McVeagh's first book. We also saw Elgar's half finished crossword puzzles, just lying on his desk as he left them.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

You certainly should - and it's not as commercialised as at least one poster here suggests (or at least it wasn't when last I visited, which admittedly was more than 10 years ago).

It has become more commercialised than when I visited in 1995: it was shut! Open 7 days a week nowadays.

[ahinton]

It has become more commercialised than when I visited in 1995: it was shut! Open 7 days a week nowadays.

That's not commercialisation; it's good service!

[Thropplenoggin]

I have read through this thread with interest as I'm interested in procuring a new version of Elgar's First Symphony. I wanted to pick MBers brains about a few available versions. I currently only have Barbirolli in an Elgar EMI box set.

I can't decide between three versions.

i) Colin Davis/Staatskapelle Dresden
ii) Richard Hickox/BBC National Orchestra of Wales
iii) Sir Adrian Boult, Proms (ICA Classics)

I have heard all the works via Qobuz, and all are of a comparable price. I have a soft spot for Boult because it's the piece that persuaded me after repeat listens on a recent train journey that Elgar's symphonies merited all the comments on the 'goosebumps' thread. I hadn't listened to them until that point. The energy of this live account is really palpable.

The Hickox sounds like a good account in modern sound.

I'd also like to know why Colin Davis divides opinion here so much. Is it because of excessive rubato? I can imagine why his very slow 'nobilmente' theme in the LSO version might annoy Elgar fans. How do people here feel about his Staatskapelle Dresden version, which is very driven with huge timpani and brass. Is this still Elgar or some Frankensteinian Elgar with Beethoven's Romantic muscles?

[Petrushka]

I think the 'huge timpani and brass' is what I like about the Davis/Dresden version. It puts the symphony firmly in the great European tradition very much to its advantage. Love it.

[Cheapskater]

I've been listening to this great symphony for many years and it's probably my most-played favourite. I have probably all the versions but regularly play the Davis/Dresden account and also Sir Charles Mackerras/LSO.

BaL script for this is at -

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:M0f_20bbVN0J:eprints.soton.ac.uk/184923/1/Elgar1Script.doc+hansler+profil+download+elgar&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiJaNyZFA5GdRnmpMTKhPFJWLDVZ27hjgdlY5nv8upU3nZXrcnlNearQz66-vOri1rbLGD8JMYrqEq-KBA81b2uM8vCNzdMqS5DCnUatreW7_5dskcrSXgJkQuTw6u32gCBmWlF&sig=AHIEtbSf8elGXug35MC-s4zAG48mt2geaQ

Hope that works! Has anyone the 'podcast' for that BaL please?

[hafod]

I've been listening to this great symphony for many years and it's probably my most-played favourite. I have probably all the versions but regularly play the Davis/Dresden account and also Sir Charles Mackerras/LSO.

The Davis is for me a revelatory performance - more forceful than most without overdoing the 'noblimente' element - but compromised by 'hum-along with Colin'. For this reason I can only bear to listen to it rarely.

[Cheapskater]

The Davis is for me a revelatory performance - more forceful than most without overdoing the 'noblimente' element - but compromised by 'hum-along with Colin'. For this reason I can only bear listen to it rarely.

Yes, I also am not keen on the 'hum-along with Colin' element; but if that's what he needs to do to achieve this level of performance then I can live with it.

I've seen Sir Colin often interviewed on the subject of Elgar, he seems to be an interesting and unusual character (like EE).

[Alison]

I like the Organ Sonata very much and in both formats! Agreed, Handley is even better than Hickox. A lovely work to play in the car on the way to work !

Thanks for the reminder of the piano concerto, a CD to dig out again for sure. Some are very sniffy about it but I find the spirit of Elgar very much there, rather more so than in the Third symphony to my ears.