Elgar: Symphonies Nos 1 and 2

[pastoralguy]

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.

Just ordered it from Amazon. Probably the one recording of this piece I don't own!

[Cheapskater]

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.

I couldn't say more than - absolutely agree.

[Cheapskater]

QUOTE=pastoralguy;262958]Just ordered it from Amazon. Probably the one recording of this piece I don't own![/QUOTE]

I'm convinced that you won't be disappointed with this and that it will give many hours of listening pleasure.

[BBMmk2]

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?

Buy all three! I would!