BaL 14.01.12 - Elgar: Violin Concerto

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library: Martin Cotton with a personal recommendation from recordings of Elgar's Violin Concerto

Available versions:
Marie Hall, Orchestra, Sir Edward Elgar (abridged)
Hilary Hahn, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis
Dong-Suk Kang, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Leaper
Tasmin Little, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis
Ida Haendel, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Marat Bisengaliev, West Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra, Bundit Ungrangsee
Salvatore Accardo, London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox
Kyung Wha Chung, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Hugh Bean, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves
Alfredo Campoli, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Jascha Heifetz, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
Albert Sammons, New Queen's Hall Orchestra, Sir Henry Wood
Thomas Zehetmair, Hallé, Sir Mark Elder
Nikolaj Znaider, Staatskapelle Dresden, Sir Colin Davis
James Ehnes, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis
Nigel Kennedy, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley
Nigel Kennedy, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle
Yehudi Menuhin, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Edward Elgar
Yehudi Menuhin, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult (live)
Yehudi Menuhin, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta
Yehudi Menuhin, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Gil Shaham, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman
Philippe Graffin, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley
Itzhak Perlman, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky
Itzhak Perlman, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
Pinchas Zukerman, St Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin (download only)

[salymap]

I'm amazed at what is still available. I have, in no particular order of preference, Dong-Suk Kang with Leaper, Nige on a prom Video, Ida Haendel, LPO and Boult, Alfredo Campoli, LPO and Boult, the latter on an LP, still in good condition. They will see me out.

[PJPJ]

9.30 Building a Library: Martin Cotton with a personal recommendation from recordings of Elgar's Violin Concerto

Available versions:

Jascha Heifetz, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Eugene Goossens

Should this be LSO, Sargent?

[PJPJ]

Is Haendel, CBSO Rattle OOP?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Violin-Concerto-Sibelius/dp/B002E9Y5NS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325845415&sr=8-1

[PJPJ]

....... Alfredo Campoli, LPO and Boult, the latter on an LP, still in good condition. They will see me out.

I do love this performance.....

[salymap]

I do love this performance.....

i remember when there was a lot of snobbishness about Campoli, who was known as a light music musician but he soon put people right. A fine artist, and came up through the ranks.

[JFLL]

i remember when there was a lot of snobbishness about Campoli, who was known as a light music musician but he soon put people right. A fine artist, and came up through the ranks.

Yes, I remember my father claiming (probably tongue-in-cheek) that he was really named Alf Camp and used to play in a cafe in Birmingham. But when I bought Campoli's recording of the Mendelssohn concerto on Ace of Clubs (a label of which classical buffs of a certain age will have fond (?) memories), he had to admit that it was 'not so bad'. I haven't heard his Elgar, and will be interested to hear what BAL has to say. By the way, did anyone hear The Starlight Express (Elgar's, not the more recent fake) "starring" Simon Callow on Monday afternoon's Afternoon on 3?

[Gordon]

Wot! No Zukerman? No Chung/Solti either but Solti doesn't help her very well, it's not his style. Some good versions in this list - but do any really get into its heart?

This piece is a great favourite of mine so I'll be looking forward to see what Martin Cotton makes of the field. It has been done at least twice in the past by Michael Kennedy and Robert Philip but I can't remember what the results were! I'll have to dig out the recordings and see.

The Menuhin/Elgar and Sammons/Wood are in a class of their own despite their ages. The Campoli from Kingsway in 1954 is very fine despite being mono, just missing Decca's stereo era.

There were [at least] two Heifetz recordings, the Cincinatti [c/w Walton] in 1941 and the LSO/Sargent from Abbey Road in 1949 and neither of them get into this piece.

[PJPJ]

There were [at least] two Heifetz recordings, the Cincinatti [c/w Walton] in 1941 and the LSO/Sargent from Abbey Road in 1949 and neither of them get into this piece.

I can find the Walton recorded in Cincinnati but not the Elgar. The complete Heifetz edition offers just the 1949 recording with Sargent. Which label is the 1941 Elgar on?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Should this be LSO, Sargent?

I can find the Walton recorded in Cincinnati but not the Elgar. The complete Heifetz edition offers just the 1949 recording with Sargent. Which label is the 1941 Elgar on?

I'm almost certain that you are correct, and have amended the list accordingly.


But if there turn out to be two Heifetz recordings, I'll think again...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Is Haendel, CBSO Rattle OOP?

It isn't generally available over here.

[Barbirollians]

Is Haendel, CBSO Rattle OOP?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Violin-Conce...5845415&sr=8-1

It seems to go in and out of stock. Testament's website is silent on it at present but so it was last year but it reappeared on the site this year - maybe they have sold out and are repressing

[Barbirollians]

I am intrigued by a Menuhin/Mehta version - where is that available ?

I am alarmed to note I own 15 of these already !

[pastoralguy]

For me, Nigel Kennedy every time. Although I think he played it better second time around but Tod Handley was a little better than Sir Simon for his first recording. However, Sir Simon was superb for Ida Haendel on Testament whereas Boult was less convincing for La Haendel (also Testament)for her 1978 performance. (IM very HO!)

There have been a few new versions since the last time the concerto was last done on BAL. Really looking forward to this one.

[pastoralguy]

Does anyone know the Igor Oistrakh version on Olympia? (Moscow Radio Symphony/Zhuk). It's not really idiomatic but, BOY, does he knock it into the middle of next week!!