Our Summer BAL 2: Elgar Cello Concerto

[verismissimo]

Thanks for the clarication, Chris. Just one point - the premiere was conducted by the composer. The rest of that concert was conducted by Coates.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Hang on a minute. BaL is supposed to be a weekly event, and I do my best to research available recordings. But 2 in a week?

[BBMmk2]

Well, quite agree EA! Let this thyread be closed until next week?

[verismissimo]

Think we had two last week, Eine. Hopefully just the one this. Either way, it's become an interesting thread.

[Norfolk Born]

He's worn really well.....

I think you'll find that Alex Salmond was the soloist at the premiere of Bruch's Scottish Fantasy.

[Barbirollians]

Not only was Barbirolli a cellist, he played in the first performance, with the LSO and Elgar conducting. It was apparently a poor show because Albert Coates (who was conducting the rest of the concert) took up most of the rehearsal time with Borodin 2, leaving Elgar barely 30 minutes for the concerto rehearsal.

Wasn't it Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy that took up all that rehearsal time ?

The Isserlis is very good and I do like that lloyd webber/Menuhin too .

[Pabmusic]

I think Pabmusic meant to point out that Barbirolli was in the orchestra at the premiere. His second sentence deals with Barbirolli's own playing of the concerto under Albert Coates. Subsequent messages seem to confuse what Pabmusic says and thus the performances.

]Wasn't it Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy that took up all that rehearsal time ?

Chris is quite right. I meant to say that Barbirolli played in the premiere, but as a member of the orchestra. But my second sentence also dealt with the premiere, which was on 27th October 1919 and had the following programme:

Borodin: Symphony No. 2
Elgar: Cello Concerto, soloist Felix Salmond (conducted by the composer)
Wagner: Forest Murmurs from Siegfried
Scriabin: Poem of Ecstasy

The LSO (of which JB was a rank and file cellist) was conducted by Albert Coates, except for the Elgar. Coates was born in Russia and rather specialised in Russian music. Neither the Borodin nor (especially) the Scriabin would have been very familiar to British orchestras in 1919. No doubt the rehearsal over-run was due to both these pieces, but the account I recall reading many years ago blamed the Borodin.

I found this link, one of several that give the programme:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/Scott/Elgar_cello_premiere.htm

Of course, Barbirolli did perform the concerto as a soloist, but that's a different matter.

[Pabmusic]

After my last post, I thought I’d go back to basics and get out a number of books. As usual, the story of the first performance, as remembered, is but a precis of a more complex tale. It seems Elgar had two rehearsal slots. Here’s Alice Elgar’s diary entries:

“October 26…the new work, Cello Concerto, never seen by the Orchestra – Rehearsal supposed to be at 11.30. After 12.30 – A. absolutely furious – E. extraordinarily calm – Poor Felix Salmond in a state of suspense & nerves – Wretched hurried reheasal – An insult to E. from that brutish, selfish, ill-mannered bounder A. Coates.”

October 26…to Queen’s Hall for rehearsal at 12.30 or rather before – absolutely inadequate at that – That brute Coates went on rehearsing ‘Waldweben’. Sec[retary of the orchestra]remonstrated, no use. At last just before one [ie: the scheduled finish] he stopped & the men like Angels stayed till 1.30. A. wanted E. to withdraw, but he did not for Felix S’s sake – Indifferent performance in consequence.”

Nothing like that could happen nowadays, of course.

[MrGongGong]

I think you'll find that Alex Salmond was the soloist at the premiere of Bruch's Scottish Fantasy.

Surely all of his performances are something of a fantasy ?

[pastoralguy]

I'm very fond of a 'cheapie' version by Felix Schmidt with the LSO. It was on the LSO's own label but not what we now understand as 'LSO Live' being produced by the Orchestra and marketed by John Boyden's company.

I forget who the conductor wa but once I have my cds sorted out and I can find it I'll post more.

[Norfolk Born]

Surely all of his performances are something of a fantasy ?

Precisely. Having said that - if forced, at the start of a long-haul flight, to choose between a seat next to Mr S and a seat next to any member of the London cabinet, would Mr S not at least be likely to prove more entertaining?

[Norfolk Born]

I'm very fond of a 'cheapie' version by Felix Schmidt with the LSO. It was on the LSO's own label but not what we now understand as 'LSO Live' being produced by the Orchestra and marketed by John Boyden's company.

I forget who the conductor wa but once I have my cds sorted out and I can find it I'll post more.

Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos?

[verismissimo]

Doesn't look as though EA is going to give us one of his useful lists this week, so here is a good one from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgar_Cello_Concerto_discography

And I just remembered that I also have the Rostropovich recording with the Moscow Phil/Rakhlin from 1958.

[MrGongGong]

Precisely. Having said that - if forced, at the start of a long-haul flight, to choose between a seat next to Mr S and a seat next to any member of the London cabinet, would Mr S not at least be likely to prove more entertaining?

[Chris Newman]

And I was wrong when I said that John Barbirolli played the concerto as soloist under Albert Coates. Barbirolli was in the LSO cello section at its 1919 premiere and he was the soloist at one of its earliest performances, with the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra under Sir Dan Godfrey in 1921. Some sources say he actually gave the second performances but Michael Kennedy says Felix Salmond gave the second with the Hallé in Manchester on 20 March 1920 and Beatrice Harrison gave the third. Sir John, a wonderful musician, was, like Leopold Stokowski, a notorious fibber and loved exaggeration so he could have begun the second performance rumour himself.