BaL 21.06.14 - Elgar's Cello Concerto

[pastoralguy]

I wonder if the du Pre version played was the standard cd or its latest SACD version.

[makropulos]

A recording of the Elgar with "Fournier and Szell" ? More like Fournier and Alfred Wallenstein.

[Bryn]

A recording of the Elgar with "Fournier and Szell" ? More like Fournier and Alfred Wallenstein.

Indeed. Someone seems not to know their Dvorak from their Elgar.

[MLF]

Interesting. 1965 Du Pre/ Barbirolli was predictably the historic choice; Truls Mork with the City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle the overall winner. Did not see that one coming - but have obediently ordered the Mork (it is available for less than £3 on Amazon).

[amateur51]

My enjoyment of Helen wallace's well-done BaL was marred by a phone call just before the summibng up and decision-making so I'll gladly relisten.


I was pleased by the approach that she took and the huge number of recordings that she played - very informative, well done

Was this Helen Wallace's first appearance on BaL? I thought she was very good

[visualnickmos]

Was this Helen Wallace's first appearance on BaL? I thought she was very good

Yes - I concur. Certainly a baptism of fire, with this piece, but Helen Wallace sailed through. Well done to her. I'm not convinced that I'll rush out and buy the recommendation, although I'll have to listen to it in its entirety to make an informed decision. Something about Rattle I can't quite 'get'....

[DracoM]

Truls Mork's interpretation has integrity and presence, and is finely played. Totally justified top choice.

[seabright]

I have Rostropovich in the Elgar on a Revelation CD - with the Moscow Phil under Natan Rakhlin from November 1958. Presumably from a broadcast. I'll give it a spin.

I have Rostropovich's Elgar too, also with the Moscow Philharmonic but conducted by Rozhdestvensky, from a 'live' broadcast in 1964 on 'Russian Disc.' It's not mentioned in the message #1 listing, so presumably it doesn't count. The couplings are Respighi's 'Adagio con Variazione' and the Milhaud Cello Concerto No. 1.

[Nick Armstrong]

a phone call just before the summibng up

Was it Bbm on the line?

[BBMmk2]

Interesting. 1965 Du Pre/ Barbirolli was predictably the historic choice; Truls Mork with the City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle the overall winner. Did not see that one coming - but have obediently ordered the Mork (it is available for less than £3 on Amazon).

Really?Bargain!! must get.I have the Du Pre/LSO/Barbirolli, paul Watkins, BBCPO/Davis(A). But I think I can find room for Truls Mork too!!

[Barbirollians]

Gracious- how come du Pre is historic choice when one listens to the SACD it does not sound historic at all !!!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Interesting. 1965 Du Pre/ Barbirolli was predictably the historic choice;

Personally, I think it's ludicrous to think of a top-class stereo recording as historic. The only grounds for making this distinction should be poorly recorded or mono sound. From 1958 onwards, studio recordings have hardly improved at all.

[MLF]

Gracious- how come du Pre is historic choice when one listens to the SACD it does not sound historic at all !!!

That thought occurred to me also! The Beatrice Harrison/ Elgar recording is my go to historic recording. I suppose Du Pre had to get in there somewhere - and yet another BAL settling on Du Pre would have been rather dull. Perhaps they should have created a "best recent recording" winner?

BTW fully agree with the praise for this morning's reviewer - top notch stuff.

[seabright]

A recording of the Elgar with "Fournier and Szell" ? More like Fournier and Alfred Wallenstein.

Pierre Fournier and the Berlin Philharmonic under Alfred Wallenstein on DG from 1967 was presumably one of the first non-British recordings of the work.

[Bryn]

I thought that it was perhaps a slip of the tongue, and she intended not "historical" but "hysterical".