BaL 4.01.20 - Elgar: Enigma Variations

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30am
Building a Library
Kate Kennedy discusses a wide range of approaches to Elgar's much-loved Variations on an Original Theme, his so-called "Enigma" Variations and recommends the key recording to have.

Available recordings:-

Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli *
Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli (live)
Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli (live)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli * + vinyl
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein (DVD)
English Symphony Orchestra, William Boughton
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Andrew Constantine
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis (DVD)
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Andrew Davis
Philharmonia Orchestra, Andrew Davis
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Sir Colin Davis
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis (SACD)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Norman Del Mar
Hallé Orchestra, Mark Elder
Royal Albert Hall Orchestra, Sir Edward Elgar
Royal Albert Hall Orchestra, Sir Edward Elgar
Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Alexander Gibson
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley
Hallé Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Heinze *
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, George Hurst
London Symphony Orchestra, Eugen Jochum *
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rolf Kleinert
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Leaper
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton (SACD)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton *
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner *
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Sir Neville Marriner *
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta *
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux *
French National Orchestra, Pierre Monteux
London Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Pierre Monteux*
Symphony of the Air, Pierre Monteux
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Yehudi Menuhin
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Sir Roger Norrington
Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
London Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn *
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andre Previ
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle (DVD/Blu-ray)
Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Rico Saccani *
London Symphony Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent
All-Star Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz (DVD)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin *
London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin
Florida All-State Symphonic Orchestra, Thomas Sleeper *
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti (DVD)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, William Steinberg
Kansas City Symphony, Michael Stern
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski
Koninklijk Filharmonisch Orkest van Vlaanderen Muhai Tang *
St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Yuri Temirkanov (DVD)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bryden Thomson
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini (live)
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini (studio)
London Symphony Orchestra, Barry Tuckwell
Philharmonia Orchestra, George Weldon
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman


Piano solo
Elfrun Gabriel
Maria Garzón
Ashley Wass
Elspeth Wyllie

Wind ensemble
University of Houston Wind Ensemble, Eddie Green (arr. Patterson)

Organ
Keith John


[* = download only]

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Hopefully "wide-ranging" means what it says, for once.

[pastoralguy]

Fantastic list, Alpie. Many thanks.


I've always thought that, like the 'Trout' Quintet, there are probably very few 'bad' recordings of this masterpiece.

I'd probably go for the LPO under Mackerras since that was the first cd I ever bought and it's a recording that's quite special, imho.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have many recordings of this work, but my ultimate choice is Philharmonia/Barbirolli, which doesn't appear to be available on CD, yet there's a vinyl version. Bizarre.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've always thought that, like the 'Trout' Quintet, there are probably very few 'bad' recordings of this masterpiece.

Bernstein perhaps, with the slowest Nimrod on record?

[pastoralguy]

I have many recordings of this work, but my ultimate choice is Philharmonia/Barbirolli, which doesn't appear to be available on CD, yet there's a vinyl version. Bizarre.

There is a Japanese SACD version listed on Amazon, a bargain at £38.54!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Fantastic list, Alpie. Many thanks.

I have quite a few recordings - favourites including RPO/Del Mar; Barbirolli (Hallé and PO); LSO/Jochum; and the Composer (the Naxos remastering). But, as Pasto says, it seems to be one of those works that "inspire" very few bad performances.

[pastoralguy]

Bernstein perhaps, with the slowest Nimrod on record?

I think that would have been something to hear live but on record it's terribly self indulgent! The film of Bernstein and the BBC Symphony has some cringe worthy moments.

[Bryn]

I have many recordings of this work, but my ultimate choice is Philharmonia/Barbirolli, which doesn't appear to be available on CD, yet there's a vinyl version. Bizarre.

One of the amazon.co.uk customer reviews claims that the Variations with the Philharmonia are/were on this disc: ASIN: B000005GUE. This despite the ordering of the orchestras on the cover:



Whether or not the same applies to:



it seems likely that both issues have the recording you seek.

Ah. See also the customer reviews here.

[pastoralguy]

Oddly enough, since I didn't know this BAL was in the pipeline, I gave a friend the Hyperion Organ version with Keith John for Christmas. I must try to pop round and hear it before this broadcast.

[pastoralguy]

I have many recordings of this work, but my ultimate choice is Philharmonia/Barbirolli, which doesn't appear to be available on CD, yet there's a vinyl version. Bizarre.

It's available on the EMI STUDIO series. The 'Enigma' is with the Philharmonia Orchestra and 'Falstaff' is with the Halle. Available on eBay for small amounts of cash!

£1.83 on Amazon!

[vinteuil]

I have many recordings of this work, but my ultimate choice is Philharmonia/Barbirolli, which doesn't appear to be available on CD, yet there's a vinyl version. Bizarre.

... it is here -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgar-Orchestral-Sir-John-Barbirolli/dp/B000I0SGXA

.

[LMcD]

... it is here -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgar-Orchestral-Sir-John-Barbirolli/dp/B000I0SGXA

.

Are we talking about CDM 7 69185 2? It's also available from Discogs for a few pounds.

[Barbirollians]

LSO / Boult 1970 and the earlier Halle/Barbirolli for me.

[Bryn]

Are we talking about CDM 7 69185 2? It's also available from Discogs for a few pounds.

Indeed. I have that very boxed set. However, individual CDs with the recording concerned are also available.