BaL 30.10.21 - Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor

[akiralx]

I didn’t hear the broadcast as I’m in Australia but I recall being very taken with Ning Feng’s version on Channel Classics - has anyone else heard it?

[smittims]

I don't know of it. Who is the orchestra/conductor?

It's a work capable of many differing approaches, especially nowadays, when the opulent, emotional Edwardian feeling isn't the first to come to mind. I've noticed a tendency to play it more and more slowly (e.g. Ida Haendel and Nicolai Znaider) . Hearing the first recording, an abridged acoustic version by Albert Sammons and Henry Wood, was a revelation to me.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't know of it. Who is the orchestra/conductor?

It's a work capable of many differing approaches, especially nowadays, when the opulent, emotional Edwardian feeling isn't the first to come to mind. I've noticed a tendency to play it more and more slowly (e.g. Ida Haendel and Nicolai Znaider) . Hearing the first recording, an abridged acoustic version by Albert Sammons and Henry Wood, was a revelation to me.

The first recording was the 1916 acoustic recording with Marie Hall as soloist and conducted by the composer. The 1929 Sammons/Wood recording was uncut.

[smittims]

Hi, Alpensinfonie, sorry for any confusion. I should have made it clear I was referring to the recording made in April 1916 by Sammons on Columbia L 1071/2, a few months before the Hall/Elgar recording in December that year. Interestingly, though both are abridged, the cuts are different, so a listener buying both would hear more of the concerto than anyone owning one version !

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Hi, Alpensinfonie, sorry for any confusion. I should have made it clear I was referring to the recording made in April 1916 by Sammons on Columbia L 1071/2, a few months before the Hall/Elgar recording in December that year. Interestingly, though both are abridged, the cuts are different, so a listener buying both would hear more of the concerto than anyone owning one version !

I hadn’t heard of this one. Is it/has it been - available in our era?

[akiralx]

I don't know of it. Who is the orchestra/conductor?

It's a work capable of many differing approaches, especially nowadays, when the opulent, emotional Edwardian feeling isn't the first to come to mind. I've noticed a tendency to play it more and more slowly (e.g. Ida Haendel and Nicolai Znaider) . Hearing the first recording, an abridged acoustic version by Albert Sammons and Henry Wood, was a revelation to me.

RLPO/Prieto. I find it a very idiomatic version, and superbly played.

[smittims]

Yes, Sammons' first (1916) recording is on a SOMM disc called 'Elgar Rediscovered' ( SOMMCD 0167).

It includes , among other things, Elgar's recording of the Elegy for Strings with the BBC SO , made before his better-known LPO recording, and May Grafton playing the Sonatina, which is claimed to be the only recording of an Elgar work played by its dedicatee, though strictly speaking Leon Goossens' recording of 'Soliloquy' comes into that category, or would if Elgar had actually, formally dedicated it to him as he surely intended to do.

What a pity we don't have 'Falstaff' conducted by Landon Ronald, though he did record the 1911 Coronation March.

[Barbirollians]

I see that Elgar's VC is the subject of a Gramophone Collection piece this month.Unfortunately, its Geraint Lewis though its better than most of his pieces ( anyone who slags off Barbirolli's Elgar symphony recordings is not a reliable guide )

The Ehnes is the winner - I found that a cold , technically perfect account .

Although mention of the Haendel/Boult no mention of her live recording which seemed to have a limited time on Testament though it is available from Amazon quite often . Coupled with an incendiary Sibelius both with the CBSO and Rattle and from the Proms in the 1980s and early 1990s.

I had forgotten what a great record it is - if you didn't buy it before do snap it up if you can find it . Its definitely one up on her account with Boult and noticeably quicker.

[smittims]

Is that her performance wth Bernard Haitink? I heard that live and admired it very much. The Boult HMV disc was his last Elgar recording and , indeed, one of his very last of any music.

James Ehnes can ceratinly play the violin very well, but I could never rank his interpretation of the Elgar with Menuhin or Zukerman.

[Barbirollians]

Is that her performance wth Bernard Haitink? I heard that live and admired it very much. The Boult HMV disc was his last Elgar recording and , indeed, one of his very last of any music.

James Ehnes can ceratinly play the violin very well, but I could never rank his interpretation of the Elgar with Menuhin or Zukerman.

No it was with Rattle in 1984 - have heard lots about that Haitink performance . If I recall Laurie Watt once of this forum tried to persuade the LPO to try and license it on their own label.

[teamsaint]

I see that Elgar's VC is the subject of a Gramophone Collection piece this month.Unfortunately, its Geraint Lewis though its better than most of his pieces ( anyone who slags off Barbirolli's Elgar symphony recordings is not a reliable guide )

The Ehnes is the winner - I found that a cold , technically perfect account .

Although mention of the Haendel/Boult no mention of her live recording which seemed to have a limited time on Testament though it is available from Amazon quite often . Coupled with an incendiary Sibelius both with the CBSO and Rattle and from the Proms in the 1980s and early 1990s.

I had forgotten what a great record it is - if you didn't buy it before do snap it up if you can find it . Its definitely one up on her account with Boult and noticeably quicker.

Well I’ll have a listen to the Ehnes and see if we agree. Saw him playing it a few years ago with the Philharmonia, and he was exceptional. Transferring this to disc of course is a whole other thing.
Anyway , I thought that the Gramophone piece was a fair read.

[Barbirollians]

Yes it was better than his Elgar symphony collection. I think Andrew Davis too was better with Little a couple of years later and I find her performance more involving than Ehnes too.

[Kingfisher]

The Hugh Bean recording on Classics for Pleasure will have been an introduction to this great work for many. It still sounds great.

I also prefer it to the Cello Concerto, though that may be partly because it is not so over performed?

[smittims]

I was sorry to see the Hugh Bean recording get a lukewarm review on its appearance. I too have always enjoyed hearing it. It was rather sad to see Bean in a sleeve note describe it as ' my first major concerto recording' as it was also his last. I wish EMI had asked him to record the Delius concerto , especially at a time when it was otherwise unavailable on disc , as he played it superbly. Both concertos had of course been championed (and recorded) by his mentor Albert Sammons.

[silvestrione]

The Hugh Bean recording on Classics for Pleasure will have been an introduction to this great work for many. It still sounds great.

I also prefer it to the Cello Concerto, though that may be partly because it is not so over performed?

I'm the other way round. Isn't the VC rather overlong, and insufficiently varied?