BaL 01.06.2024 - Elgar: Symphony 1

[cloughie]

I wonder how short the short list was.
It would be nice to think that somebody, somewhere, might have encountered this magnificent symphony for the first time today.
2 copies of Vernon Handley/LPO still available on World of Books at £3;59

Just listened on Sounds - unfortunately in searching it the spoilers were out so soon after the live airing that the recommended recording was already displayed. Despite that I enjoyed those lovely slow quiet passages from Elder, Gardner and Barenboim. ML says he listened blind to 25 recordings. What a joyous task that must have been. How I love that symphony!

[LMcD]

Just listened on Sounds - unfortunately in searching it the spoilers were out so soon after the live airing that the recommended recording was already displayed. Despite that I enjoyed those lovely slow quiet passages from Elder, Gardner and Barenboim. ML says he listened blind to 25 recordings. What a joyous task that must have been. How I love that symphony!

I listened on Sounds, joining on the hour, and remained in ignorance to the end - indeed, I thought Barenboim was going to make it German Elgars 2 Everybody Else's 0
I thought it was remarkable how often the words 'really special' cropped up when certain recordings (Boult, Elgar, Barenboim) came under the spotlight.

[edashtav]

Hats off to Alison.



PS: Alpie used to highlight the winner and any runners up in his original listings.
Would it help if I edited the first post each time and gave the details of winners from the BBC R3 website?

Yes, please.
Alison and Mark's choice sounded authoritative.

[Pulcinella]

Yes, please.
Alison and Mark's choice sounded authoritative.

Done already (in anticipation!).

[edashtav]

Done already (in anticipation!).

Splendid service.

[smittims]

I agree 'listening blind' is a very good idea. I wonder how many people would have a different opinion of the playing of Yuja Wang, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and NIgel Kennedy if they didn't know anything about their appearance.

I have to say 'really special ' is better than 'incredible' which I hear too often these days.

[Kingfisher]

Hear hear, on both points

[Kingfisher]

Hmm… The reviewer just remarked that Todd Handley’s CfP recording had disappeared. However, it’s still available, new, on Amazon. If you want it second hand it’s £1.02!

Those cfp Handley recordings were excellent and I particularly loved the Hugh Bean performance of the Violin Concerto.

[Barbirollians]

I thought it was a poor BAL for all the reviewer’s polished presentation . Barbirolli dismissed after an extract that was strikingly beautiful but no surprise he seems out of fashion in Elgar . The dismissal of Solti even more cursory and unfair to my ears . As with Morrison - Mark Lowther seemed to miss the obvious debt Barenboim owes to Barbirolli in Elgar.

Did I miss something but Boult’s stereo studio recordings were ignored and then Boult thrown out of the final contenders on the basis of what I do not quite know but it seems that speedy Adagio in the Proms account.

I bought Gardner’s Elgar 2 but I found it rather straight and buttoned up for my liking. I do not have his Elgar 1 but was not tempted to get it from the extracts played.

That same impression came over from the extract from the finale - I cannot imagine any chance of an audience response like that to the Boult Prom from anyone hearing that.

PS And no mention of the rather different earlier Halle Barbirolli or the immensely moving King’’s Lynn account.

[LMcD]

I thought it was a poor BAL for all the reviewer’s polished presentation . Barbirolli dismissed after an extract that was strikingly beautiful but no surprise he seems out of fashion in Elgar . The dismissal of Solti even more cursory and unfair to my ears . As with Morrison - Mark Lowther seemed to miss the obvious debt Barenboim owes to Barbirolli in Elgar.

Did I miss something but Boult’s stereo studio recordings were ignored and then Boult thrown out of the final contenders on the basis of what I do not quite know but it seems that speedy Adagio in the Proms account.

I bought Gardner’s Elgar 2 but I found it rather straight and buttoned up for my liking. I do not have his Elgar 1 but was not tempted to get it from the extracts played.

That same impression came over from the extract from the finale - I cannot imagine any chance of an audience response like that to the Boult Prom from anyone hearing that.

Lowther made it clear early on that he was only going to consider 2 of Boult's recordings, and that there was 'a but - AND IT'S A BIG BUT' - about the Prom performance. No mention whatsoever of Bryden Thomson.

[Barbirollians]

Bizarre to choose only the 1949 and the live Prom though.

[LMcD]

Bizarre to choose only the 1949 and the live Prom though.

... especially as he said that all 4 of Boult's recordings were 'very special, in different ways'. He defended his dismissal of the Prom performance on the grounds that the 3rd movement was too fast and Boult was subsequently also of that opinion, having listened to Elgar's recording beforehand.

[Pulcinella]

Those cfp Handley recordings were excellent and I particularly loved the Hugh Bean performance of the Violin Concerto.

CfP yes, but the Bean Concerto was with the RLPO under Groves (which you probably knew!).
Handley's budget EMI recording of the concerto (Eminence? I have an HMV incarnation) was with Nigel Kennedy.

[silvestrione]

I thought it was an enthralling BAL, and I loved the warmth and enthusiasm, from both ML and AMcG (genuine this time?). I look forward to hearing/streaming the Boult, Barenboim, Elder and Gardner.

However, my go-to version has always been that Barbirolli/ Philharmonia, and it will probably stay that way: not harmed by that dismissal in my feeling about it. He knows what he is doing, and that slowish opening pays dividends when the 'motto' theme comes back unexpectedly in fragments, at that same speed...haunting. It can sound perfunctory in other versions.

But yes, the intensity of the Boult extract was remarkable, and the brass loving those Albert Hall spaces to reach out into!

[Barbirollians]

I thought it was an enthralling BAL, and I loved the warmth and enthusiasm, from both ML and AMcG (genuine this time?). I look forward to hearing/streaming the Boult, Barenboim, Elder and Gardner.

However, my go-to version has always been that Barbirolli/ Philharmonia, and it will probably stay that way: not harmed by that dismissal in my feeling about it. He knows what he is doing, and that slowish opening pays dividends when the 'motto' theme comes back unexpectedly in fragments, at that same speed...haunting. It can sound perfunctory in other versions.

But yes, the intensity of the Boult extract was remarkable, and the brass loving those Albert Hall spaces to reach out into!

I part company with you on the enthralling but I think you are entirely right about how Barbirolli’s tempo at that point is related to how he structures the performance of the whole work .