BaL 28.03.15 - Elgar: Symphony no. 2 in E flat

[visualnickmos]

I just rediscovered the recording by Menuhin and the RPO (a Virgin Classics 'double') and it (symphony no 2) isn't at all bad. Taken at quite a lick throughout, but not rushed, very spirited, and considering its speed, all the detail is well-defined. A very enjoyable recording, this one...

[Barbirollians]

Menuhin was an underrated Elgar conductor . The best selling record he made with JLW of the Cello Concerto coupled with the Enigma Variations was very good indeed .

[EdgeleyRob]

Menuhin was an underrated Elgar conductor . The best selling record he made with JLW of the Cello Concerto coupled with the Enigma Variations was very good indeed .

Good shout,I have that cd....somewhere.

[silvestrione]

I've just got a Pye Golden Guinea LP from Oxfam with Boult and the LPO. Seems magnificent. Is that the Nixa one? Otherwise, can't see it in the listings. Unless it was nla in 2015.

Edit: I can see now on the label, it says originally released in 1957, so, yes, must be the Nixa.

[vibratoforever]

I've just got a Pye Golden Guinea LP from Oxfam with Boult and the LPO. Seems magnificent. Is that the Nixa one? Otherwise, can't see it in the listings. Unless it was nla in 2015.

Edit: I can see now on the label, it says originally released in 1957, so, yes, must be the Nixa.

I bought the Pye lp in the early sixties, the first movement is especially good and I always preferred Boult's approach. Also on the Pye label at that time was the the Barbirolli Elgar 1. You couldn't do better than these two, bargain label or not.

[smittims]

It was a Westminster recording made by Kurt List and Herbert Zeithammer at Walthamstow from 15-17 August 1956, in association,of course, with Pye/Nixa who issued it in Britain. The first streeo recording of the work and the second of Sir Adrian's five gramophone discs of the work, it has always had a warm welcome when it's been reissued.

[Roger Webb]

Interesting review of the LPO/Boult '68 on Lyrita here...

https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/july07/Elgar_Boult_SRCD221.htm

Still my favourite for 2nd, and a bargain on CD.

[makropulos]

I've just got a Pye Golden Guinea LP from Oxfam with Boult and the LPO. Seems magnificent. Is that the Nixa one? Otherwise, can't see it in the listings. Unless it was nla in 2015.

Edit: I can see now on the label, it says originally released in 1957, so, yes, must be the Nixa.

I agree – and if you like this performance it's well worth finding the remastering of it done by First Hand Records (in a 3 disc set on FHR06) – the sound is transformed!

[silvestrione]

I agree – and if you like this performance it's well worth finding the remastering of it done by First Hand Records (in a 3 disc set on FHR06) – the sound is transformed!

Thanks for that!

[pastoralguy]

I know I’ve said this before but I really wish Warner, who I presume inherited the tapes from EMI, would release Sir Adrian’s Elgar 2 that he recorded with the SNO in the 1960’s. My old fiddle teacher played on that recording and said the players found him to be quite imperious! I think it was originally recorded on the WAVERLY label. There were other recordings made with Gibson and the SNO around the same time but goodness knows where the tapes are now if indeed they still exist.

[oliver sudden]

I only managed to last three minutes into this, and wouldn't even have made it that far except for the fact that I was also doing something else at the time…

https://youtu.be/pzs95_Qj9lk?feature=shared

(…is it my imagination or is he in serious need of a vocal coach? Scratchy scratchy!)

[akiralx]

Menuhin was an underrated Elgar conductor . The best selling record he made with JLW of the Cello Concerto coupled with the Enigma Variations was very good indeed .

Yes that Philips CD was one of the first I ever bought. Today I dug out the recording of the Violin Concerto he made with Sitkovetsky, also on Virgin like the Sym 2 - very beautifully done.

[Roger Webb]

Yes that Philips CD was one of the first I ever bought. Today I dug out the recording of the Violin Concerto he made with Sitkovetsky, also on Virgin like the Sym 2 - very beautifully done.

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember Lloyd-Webber won a BaL on the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Philips recording..,.it could have been the time Jerrold N Moore (whose passing was recently lamented in these pages) did it and shocked everyone with his comments on Jackie Dupré. Pulcinella will remember.

[Pulcinella]

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember Lloyd-Webber won a BaL on the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Philips recording..,.it could have been the time Jerrold N Moore (whose passing was recently lamented in these pages) did it and shocked everyone with his comments on Jackie Dupré. Pulcinella will remember.

Afraid not: Darloboy might though.
Doubt it though, or Presto would have flagged it with an award logo.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8036540--dvorak-elgar-cello-concertos

[smittims]

I remember that, especially JNM's explanation of just why the 1928 Harrison/Elgar was the most faithful of all recordings of the work . Fortunately we can now hear it all in 'accidental stereo' thanks to Lani Spahr's reconstruction.

At the time it was almost taboo to utter a word of criticism of Jackie's recording . I heard her play it live twice and on radio more often, including the much-praised Prague broadcast with Barbirolli. It was always an intense musical, emotional and for some , perhaps , spiritual , experience and she was a phenomenal musican but the truth is her interpretation was some distance form Elgar's score.

Regarding Boult's Waverley Elgar 2, I was surprised to see its absence from the big EMI/Warner Boult-Elgar box. since it appeared on Classics for Pleasure LP aroiund 1971 so they must own it. It's often been disparaged but I think it's good and listen to it along with his other recordings of the work.