Great Elgar recordings

[BBMmk2]

Is that on Philips label, the Sir Colin Davis?

[Pabmusic]

Is that on Philips label, the Sir Colin Davis?

The Dresden live performance is on Hänssler, the LSO live performance is on ... LSO Live (or wherever they call their own label); and the BBC SO live performance is on RCA.

[Barbirollians]

Isn't the Dresden live on Profil ?

[Pabmusic]

Isn't the Dresden live on Profil ?

Yes - Hänssler Profil

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgar-Symphony-Berlioz-King-Overture/dp/B000CEXPVA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372242356&sr=8-2&keywords=colin+davis+elgar+1

[Barbirollians]

Yes - Hänssler Profil

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgar-Sympho...+davis+elgar+1

[LMcD]

I've just listened, for the first time, to Boult's Elgar 2nd with the SNO - what a splendid recording! Boult's 1976 Proms performance remans my favourite recording of the 1st.

[smittims]

It is good, isn't it? And yet it hasn't had a good critical reception over the years.

I hadn't seen this thread before . I fear if I tried to list my 'great ' Elgar recordings I'd be repeating what others have said earlier . But just in case nobody's highlighted them I'd like to mention two Decca recordings from the early 1950s. For many years Decca weren't associated with Elgar (i.e. before Solti) but they had their moments. I've always treasured Alfredo Campoli's disc of the concerto with Boult and the LPO, and Anthony Collins' Falstaff, both outstanding recordings in their day and almost continually avaliable since.

I always think it's a pity Sir Malcolm Sargent didn't make commercial discs of either of the symphonies.

[LMcD]

It is good, isn't it? And yet it hasn't had a good critical reception over the years.

I hadn't seen this thread before . I fear if I tried to list my 'great ' Elgar recordings I'd be repeating what others have said earlier . But just in case nobody's highlighted them I'd like to mention two Decca recordings from the early 1950s. For many years Decca weren't associated with Elgar (i.e. before Solti) but they had their moments. I've always treasured Alfredo Campoli's disc of the concerto with Boult and the LPO, and Anthony Collins' Falstaff, both outstanding recordings in their day and almost continually avaliable since.

I always think it's a pity Sir Malcolm Sargent didn't make commercial discs of either of the symphonies.

Nor had I - it popped up while I was googling!

[Barbirollians]

In the 1960s hadn’t only Barbirolli made stereo recordings of the symphonies until Boult’s Lyrita set came along . It seems unlikely that EMI would have wanted a rival set from Sargent .

[smittims]

There was one exception, Boult's 1956 Westminster stereo recording of the second symphony (with the LPO), which appeared in Britain on Pye Golden Guinea. Barbirolli's Pye record of the first symphony with the Halle was the first stereo recording of that work.

[mikealdren]

It is good, isn't it? And yet it hasn't had a good critical reception over the years.

I hadn't seen this thread before . I fear if I tried to list my 'great ' Elgar recordings I'd be repeating what others have said earlier . But just in case nobody's highlighted them I'd like to mention two Decca recordings from the early 1950s. For many years Decca weren't associated with Elgar (i.e. before Solti) but they had their moments. I've always treasured Alfredo Campoli's disc of the concerto with Boult and the LPO, and Anthony Collins' Falstaff, both outstanding recordings in their day and almost continually avaliable since.

I always think it's a pity Sir Malcolm Sargent didn't make commercial discs of either of the symphonies.

Yes Campoli's concerto recording is very good indeed but my favourite is Heifetz with Sargent which hasn't been mentioned yet; much as I like Salmons, Campoli and Kennedy (I have yet to hear Frang), nothing else comes close. The nearest I have heard was Martin Milner with the Halle many years ago. Perlman is interesting, I enjoyed his TV performance but his CD recording doesn't create any emotional response at all for me.

[smittims]

Yes, I have a nice clean copy of ALP 1014 (though most people will find the Mark-Obert Thorn remastering oin Naxos Historical easier) ; I often wonder if Heifetz is the closest to how Kreisler would have played it, especially the andante where Elgar and Menuhin, to be honest, are a little slow; but then Elgar did say 'it's awfully emotional, but I love it'.

Frang is very good, better than Tetzlaff last week on Classical Live I thought . I think the finest interpreter since Menuhin is Zukerman, who recorded it with Barenboim and Slatkin, both excellent. I'm sorry I didn't hear Milner play it; I did see him play the Sibelius and it was every bit as good as Perlman who had played it earlier the same season.

[Pulcinella]

I sometimes forget about the Heifetz recording, as it's filed under W for Walton, despite Elgar being named first on the front!

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7948585--great-violinists-heifetz

[oliver sudden]

I often wonder if Heifetz is the closest to how Kreisler would have played it, especially the andante where Elgar and Menuhin, to be honest, are a little slow; but then Elgar did say 'it's awfully emotional, but I love it'.

I hope no one’s suggested that Elgar took it too slowly because they needed to fill up that side of the 78

Why isn’t there a Kreisler/Barbirolli? They recorded the Brahms together, surely the idea must have come up…

[Petrushka]

Yes Campoli's concerto recording is very good indeed but my favourite is Heifetz with Sargent which hasn't been mentioned yet; much as I like Salmons, Campoli and Kennedy (I have yet to hear Frang), nothing else comes close. The nearest I have heard was Martin Milner with the Halle many years ago. Perlman is interesting, I enjoyed his TV performance but his CD recording doesn't create any emotional response at all for me.

Yet my response to Perlman (Chicago SO/Barenboim) is the exact opposite of yours! It's a wonderfully emotional performance as was the TV broadcast you mention (presumably BBC SO/ Rozhdestvensky, 1981 Proms? - I was there!).

I also saw Martin Milner perform it with the Halle/Loughran in March 1975.