BaL 01.06.2024 - Elgar: Symphony 1

[oliver sudden]

No stranger than the idea of a Berlin Staatskapelle Elgar 2, I'd say.

Indeed not, but I would have hoped I’d have heard about such a tasty prospect!

[gradus]

George Hurst and the BBCPhilharmonic on Naxos was highly praised but seems unaccountably to have disappered from the radar, perhaps it is nla?

[Pulcinella]

I'm pretty sure the BBC MM version of Belshazzar's Feast was praised highly, if not their top recommendation - Pulcinella will put me right if not.

Apologies for staying off topic!
The BBC MM recording of Belshazzar was well thought of (if not in the BaL as such), iirc; it was the coupling to the Gloucester Cathedral Tallis Fantasia recently mentioned elsewhere, issued as part of the BBC2 Masterworks Series.
Willard White, BBC SO and Chorus, Leeds Festival Chorus, Andrew Davis.
Leeds Town Hall, 18 April 1999.

There is possible confusion with a commercial release of a Proms performance on 10 September 1994:
Bryn Terfel, BBC SO and Chorus, BBC Singers, Andrew Davis.
That is coupled with a recording of RVW's Job.

[Roger Webb]

#18 corrected!
I've just listened to Jeremy Summerly's summing up for Belshazzar's Feast and I don't think the BBC MM recording is mentioned.

Which RR for Belshazzar were you looking at? Summerley did BaLs for Bel. In 2011 and 2014, the BBCMM disc with Bel. on it was Willard White/A Davis/BBCSO 1999, so could have been either of those.

Edit. Ah, just seen Pulcinella's post, I knew he'd know!.......to get back on topic I've got Barbirolli/Phil on right now from the 5 CD set on EMI - it's the one I take away if I want some Elgar on holiday.

[Roger Webb]

Apologies for staying off topic!
The BBC MM recording of Belshazzar was well thought of (if not in the BaL as such), iirc; it was the coupling to the Gloucester Cathedral Tallis Fantasia recently mentioned elsewhere, issued as part of the BBC2 Masterworks Series.
Willard White, BBC SO and Chorus, Leeds Festival Chorus, Andrew Davis.
Leeds Town Hall, 18 April 1999.

There is possible confusion with a commercial release of a Proms performance on 10 September 1994:
Bryn Terfel, BBC SO and Chorus, BBC Singers, Andrew Davis.
That is coupled with a recording of RVW's Job.

Thanks Pulcinella I knew you'd know. I've just looked back at the posts from the 2011 thread on the BaL for Bel. (#51) and he says 'the Willard White/Davis will do for me' after the broadcast as if they've mentioned it on the BaL

.........back to the Elgar 1.....forgot how good the Barb/Phil was!

[cloughie]

Thanks Pulcinella I knew you'd know. I've just looked back at the posts from the 2011 thread on the BaL for Bel. (#51) and he says 'the Willard White/Davis will do for me' after the broadcast as if they've mentioned it on the BaL

.........back to the Elgar 1.....forgot how good the Barb/Phil was!

Still the one to beat after 60 years! The live recording from King’s Lynn also!

There are however surprisingly few recordings of the No1 that are not good or very good - as though no conductor or player would give less than their best for such beautiful music!

Has anyone here any view on Barenboim - I have his 1970s Sony LPO recording and also his 2015 Decca with Berlin Staatskapelle - are they good? Yes! Do they stand out and lead the field? - maybe not!

I see the Halle and Elder are releasing new recordings of both the Elgar symphonies - will these be very different to his 2003/4 recordings - No1 was BaL’s 1st choice in 2006!

[Petrushka]

I see the Halle and Elder are releasing new recordings of both the Elgar symphonies - will these be very different to his 2003/4 recordings - No1 was BaL’s 1st choice in 2006!

I'm not sure why Elder has felt the need to re-record the Elgar symphonies as his earlier one's are fine. I see no need to get the new set.

[silvestrione]

A bit confused by all the Dresden references above, but it was the case that Dresden/Davis, 'live', was chosen in a Elgar 1 BAL once by David Owen Norris.

[LMcD]

George Hurst and the BBCPhilharmonic on Naxos was highly praised but seems unaccountably to have disappered from the radar, perhaps it is nla?

Available (but probably not a candidate for BaL) from Wob (formerly World of Books) for £3.59, and plenty of choice on Amazon starting at £2.30.

[mikealdren]

George Hurst and the BBCPhilharmonic on Naxos was highly praised but seems unaccountably to have disappered from the radar, perhaps it is nla?

IIRC it was chosen on RR last time (or the time before - time flies), I bought it but much prefer Boult on EMI or live. I also bought the Barenboim after strong reviews but was disappointed and 've never taken to the Solti version.

[Barbirollians]

The Hurst is fine but does not compete with Boult or Barbirolli IMO - I still think no conductor has surpassed their equally marvellous but very different interpretations.

[Sir Velo]

Sorry to disappoint oliver sudden et al, but sadly there is no Staatskapelle Dresden version of Elgar 2 at present. The current BAL recommendation is the Barenboim/Staatskapelle Berlin on Decca, as chosen in 2015 by Richard Morrison.

To clear up any confusion: it is the Dresden/Davis recording of the Symphony No 1 in A Flat which is the current BAL recommendation of that work (a DON selection).

[oliver sudden]

There was a time when there seemed to be a fashion among Radio 3 announcers to refer to the Staatskapelle Berlin simply as ‘the Staatskapelle’. Makes about as much sense as ‘the Philharmonic’.

[HighlandDougie]

This is one to really blow the cobwebs off....

https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/05/elgar-symphony-no-1-cockaigne-overture-oehms-classics/

It comes in at 48 minutes, faster than Solti. Have to say I find it convincing and these days can't really abide the stodgy, rather indulgent approach of some conductors to this music (Mark Elder, i'm looking at your latest effort....)

It has just been delivered so have been enjoying the sprightly opener of 'Cockaigne' (a work I really like). Lucky Mannheim to have a concert hall (Mozartsaal of the Rosengarten) with such fine acoustics - and an orchestra which plays it to the manner born. Given the evidence of the composer's own recordings, I think that he would have rather enjoyed this performance. Symphony next ...

He certainly doesn't hang around but it might be too brisk for some (no faster than Elgar's 1931 LSO recording, though). Nonetheless, I think that it conveys something of the shock of the new which this symphony must have represented when first performed. I much prefer this approach to that of Leonard Slatkin - last (and rather over-indulgent) live performance which I heard, pre-Covid, in Lyon.

[seabright]

In cases like this, I'm always interested to see what's on YouTube. I tapped Elgar Symphony No. 1 in the 'search' field and these are what came up ...

Martyn Brabbins / BBCSO - TV Proms transmission 2012
Bryden Thomson / LPO - Chandos
Andrew Manze / NDR Radiophilharmonie - Televised concert in Neubrandenburg 2022
Lionel Bringuier / WDR Symphony Orchestra - Televised concert in Cologne 2023
Georg Solti / LPO - Decca CD
Sakari Oramo / Finnish Radio Symphony - Radio broadcast of 2009
Alexander Lazarev / Netherlands Radio Philharmonic - Radio broadcast of 2009
John Pritchard / BBCSO - Undated radio broadcast
John Barbirolli / Halle Orchestra - Undated live recording
Colin Davis / Staatskapelle Dresden - Live recording 1998
Mark Elder /Halle - Live TV transmission 2022
Vernon Handley / Melbourne Symphony - Live TV transmission 1994
Robert Trevino / Basque National Orchestra - Live TV transmission 2022
Chiyong Chung / Korean Symphony Orchestra - Live TV transmission 2017
Tadaaki Otaka / BBC National Orchestra of Wales - BIS CD 1995
Adrian Boult / LPO - Unidentified but presumably his HMV LP of 1976
Antonio Pappano / LSO - Barbican radio broadcast 2012
Charles Mackerras / LSO - Argo CD
Jeffrey Tate / LSO - EMI Classics
And of course Elgar's own recording!

I don't know why they still call it "Building a Library" as it's clear from all the foregoing comments that everyone tuning in already has it in their library, probably several times over. Why not call it "Interpretations on Record" after a certain long defunct Radio 3 programme!