BaL 30.10.21 - Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library
David Owen Norris chooses his favourite recording of Elgar’s Violin Concerto.

Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B minor was composed for the violinist Fritz Kreisler, who gave the premiere in London in 1910 - and Elgar made a recording with the young Yehudi Menuhin in 1932 that has become a classic. The score has the inscription “Herein is enshrined the soul of .....” The five dots are one of Elgar’s enigmas, and many names have been suggested to fit the inscription. Elgar said of the Violin Concerto, “It’s good! Awfully emotional! Too emotional, but I love it.”

Available versions:-

Salvatore Accardo, London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox
Nicola Benedetti, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
Marat Bisengaliev, West Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra, Bundit Ungrangsee
Alfredo Campoli, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Renaud Capuçon, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle
Kyung Wha Chung, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Alda Dizdari, Musica Viva Orchestra, Alexander Walker (SACD)
James Ehnes, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis
Ning Feng, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Miguel Prieto *
Philippe Graffin, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley
Ida Haendel, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Hilary Hahn, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis *
Marie Hall, Symphony Orchestra, Sir Edward Elgar (abridged) *
Jascha Heifetz, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
Thomas Albertus Irnberger, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, James Judd (SACD)
Dong-Suk Kang, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Leaper
Nigel Kennedy, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle *
Nigel Kennedy, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley
Gidon Kremer, National Orchestra of Belgium, René Defossez
Tasmin Little, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis (SACD)
Catherine Manoukian, Staatskapelle Weimar, Stefan Solyom
Yehudi Menuhin, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult *
Yehudi Menuhin, London Symphony Orchestra & Royal Albert Hall Orchestra, Sir Edward Elgar
Yehudi Menuhin, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
Igor Oistrakh, Moscow State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Valentin Zhuk
Itzhak Perlman, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
Rachel Barton Pine, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton
Triin Ruubel, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi *
Albert Sammons, Henry Wood (abridged)
Albert Sammons, New Queen’s Hall Orchestra, Henry Wood
Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Yehudi Menuhin *
Kyoko Takezawa, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin *
Thomas Zehetmair, Hallé Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder
Nikolaj Znaider, Staatskapelle Dresden, Sir Colin Davis *
Pinchas Zukerman, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
Pinchas Zukerman, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin *


* = download only

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This is something of a surprise, being less than 10 years since this work was reviewed on BaL.

Meanwhile, the 1st Symphony...

[Darloboy]

This is something of a surprise, being less than 10 years since this work was reviewed on BaL.

Meanwhile, the 1st Symphony...

Yes. My first thought was “Not again!”

I’m sure everyone remembers that Martin Cotton chose Zehetmair/Halle/Elder last time out in Jan 12.

Before that, in July 99, Iain Burnside picked Sammons & Wood’s 1929 recording with Zukerman/LPO/Barenboim as budget price modern choice.

Less than 5 years before that, in Oct 94, Michael Kennedy chose Takezawa with the Bav RSO conducted by Colin Davis (I think it’s a safe bet that won’t be first choice this time) with Menuhin conducted by Elgar as mid-price choice.

[mikealdren]

Yes, the last review does seem like yesterday but there have been lots of new versions in recent years. Sadly, with the current format, we won't hear many of them but I'd put good money on Nicola Benedetti being considered and near the top despite my personal reservations about the performance.

[Alison]

A work where owning lots of versions is more than usually desirable.

I hope Rachel Barton-Pine gets a decent mention.

[Alison]

I'd put good money on Nicola Benedetti being considered and near the top despite my personal reservations about the performance.

Tempted to say the same of Capuçon/Sir Simon.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Tempted to say the same of Capuçon/Sir Simon.

I wasn’t taken with this performance either . Nigel K and Handley for me in this. A work I rate much higher than the cello concerto . Indeed I wonder if it isn’t the very greatest violin concerto of them all…?

[Petrushka]

I'll always stick with Perlman/Chicago SO/Barenboim as my first choice. Yes, Perlman is. as usual, closely miked, but I find it crucial to hear the soloist with the utmost clarity in this piece and that's what you get in this recording.

My second choice would be Chung/LPO/Solti.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have a soft spot for the Boult/Menuhin studio recording. The Hugh Bean/Charle Groves recording is another, but it's nla

[cloughie]

I wasn’t taken with this performance either . Nigel K and Handley for me in this. A work I rate much higher than the cello concerto . Indeed I wonder if it isn’t the very greatest violin concerto of them all…?

Indeed. I loved it then (60 years ago) as I love it now - almost all the recordings I have heard except the Ehnes on BBCMM. I was slightly disappointed with the Benedetti but I like the Tamsin Little. In comparison the Cello Concerto has suffered from overexposure and ‘bleeding chunking’.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Indeed. I loved it then (60 years ago) as I love it now - almost all the recordings I have heard except the Ehnes on BBCMM. I was slightly disappointed with the Benedetti but I like the Tamsin Little. In comparison the Cello Concerto has suffered from overexposure and ‘bleeding chunking’.

Yes you’re right . Elgar’s work does not lend itself to bleeding chunks . The Cello concerto , though a wonderful work , is overplayed and over -extracted on radio . The violin concerto is comparatively underplayed

[Bryn]

I have a soft spot for the Boult/Menuhin studio recording. The Hugh Bean/Charle Groves recording is another, but it's nla

Did the latter even make it to CD? I think it last appeared as an MfP LP.

[gradus]

I've always thought the Violin concerto the greater of the two works. I heard Ehnes play it live and remember the extraordinary depth of tone he produced at the first entry of the violin.

[cloughie]

did the latter even make it to cd? I think it last appeared as an mfp lp.

cdcfp4632 but also available on a double cfp with the violin sonata and other elgar chamber music for arong £6 in p&p

[cloughie]

I've always thought the Violin concerto the greater of the two works. I heard Ehnes play it live and remember the extraordinary depth of tone he produced at the first entry of the violin.

His Onyx recording may be better than the BBCMM!