Great Elgar recordings

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

On the old BBC Messageboard I started a thread to invite choices of the best recordings of individual works by Elgar.

My list might be as follows:-

Symphony no. 1 - Halle/Barbirolli (1957)
Symphony no. 2 - BBC SO/Andrew Davis
Symphony no. 3 (Elgar/Payne) - Bournemouth SO/ Paul Daniel
Violin Concerto - Menuhin/Boult
Cello Concerto - Navarra/Barbirolli
Enigma Variations - Philharmonia/Barbirolli
Falstaff - Halle/Barbirolli
Cockaigne - LPO/Solti
In the South - VPO/Gardiner
Froissart - New Philharmonia/Barbirolli
Introduction & Allegro - English Chamber Orchestra/Britten
Serenade for Strings - ASMF/Marriner
The Dream of Gerontius - LSO Britten
The Light of Life - RLPO/ Groves
The Apostles - Halle/ Elder
The Kingdom - LPO/Boult
Caractacus - LSO/Hickox
King Olaf - LPO/Handley
The Sanguine Fan - LPO/Boult
The Crown of India - BBC Philharmonic/Davis
Coronation Ode - New Philharmonia/Ledger
The Spirit of England - SNO/Gibson

...and a few lemons:

Caractacus - RLPO/Groves
Symphony no. 1 - Stuttgart/Norrington
Enigma Variations - BBC SO Bernstein

[Barbirollians]

Symphony no. 1 - BBCSO/Boult Proms 1976
Symphony no. 2 - Halle/Barbirolli
Symphony no. 3 (Elgar/Payne) - Bournemouth SO/ Paul Daniel
Violin Concerto - Menuhin/Boult
Cello Concerto - du Pre/Barbirolli
Enigma Variations - LSO/Boult
Cockaigne - Halle/Barbirolli
In the South - Bournemouth SO/Silvestri
Froissart - New Philharmonia/Barbirolli
Introduction & Allegro - Sinfonia of London/Barbirolli
Serenade for Strings - Sinfonia of London/Barbirolli
The Dream of Gerontius - Sargent

[Petrushka]

Symphony no. 1 - BBCSO/Boult Proms 1976
Symphony no. 2 - Halle/Barbirolli
Symphony no. 3 (Elgar/Payne) - Bournemouth SO/ Paul Daniel
Violin Concerto - Menuhin/Boult
Cello Concerto - du Pre/Barbirolli
Enigma Variations - LSO/Boult
Cockaigne - Halle/Barbirolli
In the South - Bournemouth SO/Silvestri
Froissart - New Philharmonia/Barbirolli
Introduction & Allegro - Sinfonia of London/Barbirolli
Serenade for Strings - Sinfonia of London/Barbirolli
The Dream of Gerontius - Sargent

Using Barbs list as I don't know some of the works on EA's.

Symphony no. 1 - LPO/Solti
Symphony no. 2 - LPO/Handley
Symphony no. 3 (Elgar/Payne) - BBCSO/Andrew Davis
Violin Concerto - Perlman/Chicago SO/Barenboim
Cello Concerto - Natalie Clein/Handley
Enigma Variations - Philharmonia/Barbirolli
Cockaigne - Philharmonia/Barbirolli
In the South - LPO/Solti
Froissart - New Philharmonia/Barbirolli
Introduction & Allegro - Sinfonia of London/Barbirolli
Serenade for Strings - Sinfonia of London/Barbirolli
The Dream of Gerontius - Halle/Barbirolli

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Aside from the composer's own recordings of his works, my favourite "others" include:

Gerontius: Lewis, Baker,Borg/Barbirolli
Enigmas: RPO/DelMar
1st Symphony: Hallé/Barbirolli (1970)
2nd Symphony: LPO/Solti
Violin Concerto: Kennedy/LPO/Handley
Falstaff: Hallé/Barbirolli
... and the Donohoe/Maggini S4tet & Pno5tet

[EdgeleyRob]

That Sinfonia of London/Barbirolli record is very,very special.

Also -

Cello Concerto - Du Pre,LSO,Barbirolli.
Violin Concerto - Kennedy,LPO,Handley.
Sea Pictures - Janet Baker,LSO,Barbirolli.
Cockaigne - Philharmonia/Barbirolli
Falstaff - Halle,Barbirolli.
Enigma Variations - Philharmonia/Barbirolli.
Piano Quintet - Schiller,Coull Quartet.
String Quartet - Brodsky Quartet.
Violin Sonata - Menuhin.
Symphony no 1 - LSO,Mackerras.
Symphony no 2 - RPO,Mackerras.
I think I'm the only person in the world who rates the Mackerras Symphonies.

[makropulos]

Elgar's own electrical recordings, and then...

Symphony no. 1 - Mackerras/LSO, Boult/BBCSO
Symphony no. 2 - Boult/LPO (1956), Barbirolli (mono)
Violin Concerto - Haendel/Boult
Cello Concerto - Tortelier/Boult
Enigma Variations - Mackerras/LSO, Boult/LSO
Cockaigne - Solti/LPO, Mackerras/LSO
In the South - Silvestri/Bournemouth SO, Boult/LPO
Froissart - Boult/LPO
Introduction & Allegro - Britten/ECO
The Dream of Gerontius - Barbirolli, Baker, Lewis, Borg/Hallé
The Apostles - Boult/LPO
The Kingdom - Boult/LPO
The Sanguine Fan - Boult/LPO
The Starlight Express - A. Davis/SCO (Chandos)

[EdgeleyRob]

I think I'm the only person in the world who rates the Mackerras Symphonies.

Symphony no. 1 - Mackerras/LSO,

Ah,maybe not.

[Barbirollians]

I have never liked the Tortelier/Boult - passionless ! - the Tortelier/Sargent and Casals/Boult however I am both very fond of .

[gurnemanz]

Not a huge Elgarian. My favourite disc is Andrew Davis/BBCSO doing Symphony 2 and Alassio (in the South) which we once visited during a wonderful holiday on the Italian Riveria.

[vibratoforever]

So difficult to name the best so just a few good'uns

Sospiri NPO Barbirolli
Violin Concerto Sammons/Wood
Enigma Var Sinopoli/Philharmonia

[Pabmusic]

I've rather gone to town on this, I'm afraid. This list of recordings covers almost Elgar's entire output. There are multiple versions of the major works, but in that case just one is highlighted as the one (at a pinch). Of course there are loads more I could have included, but I think these are all strong versions that stand up to repeated playing. It goes without saying that all Elgar's own recordings should be included.


Symphony 1: Barbirolli (1956); Solti; Boult (live 1976); Judd/RPO; Ashkenazy/Sydney SO
Symphony 2: Boult/BBC SO (1944); Boult/LPO (1956); Handley/LPO; Downes/BBC PO
“Symphony 3”: Daniel/Bournemouth SO
Violin Concerto: Albert Sammons/Wood; Hugh Bean/Groves; Handley/LPO/Nigel Kennedy; A. Davis/BBC SO/Tasmin Little
Cello Concerto: du Pre/Barbirolli; Paul Watkins/A. Davis
Froissart: Boult/LPO (1950); Elder/Halle
Serenade: Boult/LPO; del Mar/Bournemouth Sinfonietta
Organ Sonata (arr. Jacob): Handley/LPO
Enigma: LSO/Monteux; LSO/Boult; RPO/del Mar; LPO/Thompson
Cockaigne: Boult/LPO
Wand of Youth 1: Thompson/LPO; Judd/NZSO
Wand of Youth 2: Thompson/LPO; Judd/NZSO
Nursery Suite: Thompson/LPO; Judd/NZSO
Severn Suite: (brass) Stobart/London Collegiate Brass ; (orchestra) Hickox/LSO
In The South: Silvestri/Bournemouth SO; Hickox/NOW
Intro & Allegro: Boult/BBC SO (1934); Boult/LPO
Falstaff: Boult/LPO (1950); Lloyd-Jones/English Northern Sinfonia
Polonia: A. Davis/BBC PO
Grania & Diarmid: Thompson/LPO
Crown of India: A. Davis/BBC SO
Starlight Express: (suite) Hurst/Bournemouth Sinfonietta; (complete) A. Davis/BBC SO etc.
Sanguine Fan: Boult/LPO
King Arthur: Hurst/Bournemouth Sinfonietta
P & C Marches: del Mar/RPO; A. Davis/BBC SO
Collections of short pieces: Collinwood/RPO; Marriner/Northern Sinfonia; del Mar/Bournemouth Sinf; Judd/NZSO
Black Knight: Hickox/LSO & Chorus
Light of Life: Hickox
King Olaf: Handley/LPO etc.
Scenes from the Bavarian Highlands: (with piano) Robinson/Worcester Cathedral Choir; (with orchestra) Hickox/LSO & Chorus
Caractacus: Hickox/LSO etc.
Gerontius: Barbirolli/Halle etc.; Boult/LPO etc.; Ashkenazy/Sydney SO etc
Coronation Ode: Gibson/RSNO & Chorus
Apostles: Boult/LPO etc.; Elder/Halle etc.
Kingdom: Slatkin/LPO etc.; Elder/Halle etc.
Music Makers: Elder/Halle etc.
Spirit of England: Gibson/ RSNO & Chorus
Short choral pieces: Robinson/St John’s Cambridge & Chamber Choir
Sea Pictures: Barbirolli/LSO/Janet Baker
Songs: Wynn-Rogers/Mackie/Maltman/Martineau
Wartime recitations: Wilson/BBC CO/Simon Callow
Violin Sonata: Kennedy/Pottinger
String Quartet: Golder Quartet
Piano Quintet: Golder Quartet/Piers Lane
Piano music: John McCabe
Organ music: John Butt
Wind quintets: Athena Ens.
Powick Asylum music: Barry Collett etc. (some dreadful playing, but all very HIPP!)

[BBMmk2]

I would love to make a contribution to this thread but I would find it awfully difficult to make decisions!!

[LaurieWatt]

I would love to make a contribution to this thread but I would find it awfully difficult to make decisions!!

I agree with so many recordings in the lists so far that I am not going to make my own list, either, save to pick out the RPO/Del Mar, Enigma and Pomp & Circ Marches, which is just about my all time favourite Elgar recording, closely followed with two 'In the South's - Silvestri and Solti.

I also have what Andrew Neill, former Chair for many years of the Elgar Society, described as one of the 'finest ever performances' of the Violin Concerto, which I taped from a Prom in the late 1970's with Ida Haendel, the BBCSO and Haitink. It is by far my favourite performance of this concerto and I hope one day to persuade ICA Classics to take it...

[amateur51]

I agree with so many recordings in the lists so far that I am not going to make my own list, either, save to pick out the RPO/Del Mar, Enigma and Pomp & Circ Marches, which is just about my all time favourite Elgar recording, closely followed with two 'In the South's - Silvestri and Solti.

I also have what Andrew Neill, former Chair for many years of the Elgar Society, described as one of the 'finest ever performances' of the Violin Concerto, which I taped from a Prom in the late 1970's with Ida Haendel, the BBCSO and Haitink. It is by far my favourite performance of this concerto and I hope one day to persuade ICA Classics to take it...

All power to your persuading elbow, LaurieWatt

[Barbirollians]

I agree with so many recordings in the lists so far that I am not going to make my own list, either, save to pick out the RPO/Del Mar, Enigma and Pomp & Circ Marches, which is just about my all time favourite Elgar recording, closely followed with two 'In the South's - Silvestri and Solti.

I also have what Andrew Neill, former Chair for many years of the Elgar Society, described as one of the 'finest ever performances' of the Violin Concerto, which I taped from a Prom in the late 1970's with Ida Haendel, the BBCSO and Haitink. It is by far my favourite performance of this concerto and I hope one day to persuade ICA Classics to take it...

Indeed, get pestering them !!!