Sir Adrian Boult Anniversary

[Keraulophone]

1. VW - Serenade to Music for 16 solo singers, LPO/soloists c/w 5th Symphony, LPO (EMI)
2. Elgar - The Kingdom, LPC/LPO/M.Price/Y.Minton/A.Young/J.Shirley-Quirk (EMI)
3. Parry - Best Pair of Nylons, LPC/LPO c/w Elgar The Music Makers, J.Baker/LPC/LPO (EMI)

[Cockney Sparrow]

1. VW - Serenade to Music for 16 solo singers, LPO/soloists c/w 5th Symphony, LPO (EMI)
2. Elgar - The Kingdom, LPC/LPO/M.Price/Y.Minton/A.Young/J.Shirley-Quirk (EMI)
3. Parry - Best Pair of Nylons, LPC/LPO c/w Elgar The Music Makers, J.Baker/LPC/LPO (EMI)

The Kingdom - Yes! - unparalleled soloists with the definitive "Sun Goeth Down" from the wonderful Margaret Price. And the Serenade - another great favourite.

Good to see some of the names here still posting.........

To get to the point, mention of Boult in the "BaL 18.01.25 - Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet" thread has prompted this post. Yesterday I got an email from Opera Depot -a US website for live opera - almost entirely opera - performances. Downloads; audio CDRs when available. I noticed Boult conducting :
Busoni: Doktor Faust - Fischer-Dieskau, Lewis, Harper; Wallace; Thomas. RFH London, 13^th November 1959.

The sound – not to bad, on a 4 minute sample:

https://operadepot.com/collections/ferruccio-busoni/products/busoni-doktor-faust-dietrich-fischer-dieskau-richard-lewis-heather-harper-adrian-boult

I have to (try to) resist – I’ve ordered two batches of CDs (batches given the transit costs etc) and I still have a pile of them to listen to – not to mention some downloads…..).
(The email also listed a Goodall Boris G. - Christoff, Veasey, Sinclair, Ward, Coates, Rouleau; Goodall. London, ROH 1961)

[pastoralguy]

I noticed on the Presto site that SOMM are releasing a two cd set entitled ‘Boult’s forgotten Elgar’ which includes his 1960’s recording of the Second Symphony with the SNO. My fiddle teacher played on that recording so I’m very much looking forward to hearing it. I do have a Lp of it but, as always, am always rather disappointed when I hear vinyl.

[smittims]

That 1959 Doktor Faust is (or was ) on an LPO label CD ; it's a 74-minute concert abridgement.

I was surprised to se the Waverley Elgar 2 excluded from the EMI/Warner Boult boxes a few years ago, since it was on a Classics for Pleasure LP in the 1970s so I assumed EMI owned it . It's on YouTube . Another 'forgotten' Boult Elgar is a 1944 'Inthe South', a BBC recording they broadcast some years ago, unusually,since Radio 3 are not given to playing historical recordings . I suspect they don't know enough about them: when they played Boult's 1937 HMV recording of Bliss' Music for Strings they said it was the earliest recording they could find of the BBC Symphony Orchestra , although Boult had been making commecial records with them for HMV since April 1932, several of which had appeared on Dutton CDs.

And for real anoraks who don't mind ancient sound the Elgar Society released over 30 minutes of a 1936 Queen's Hall Gerontius with Heddle Nash .

[oddoneout]

Parry - Best Pair of Nylons

Were you a choirboy Keraulophone?

[makropulos]

That 1959 Doktor Faust is (or was ) on an LPO label CD ; it's a 74-minute concert abridgement.

I was surprised to se the Waverley Elgar 2 excluded from the EMI/Warner Boult boxes a few years ago, since it was on a Classics for Pleasure LP in the 1970s so I assumed EMI owned it . It's on YouTube . Another 'forgotten' Boult Elgar is a 1944 'Inthe South', a BBC recording they broadcast some years ago, unusually,since Radio 3 are not given to playing historical recordings . I suspect they don't know enough about them: when they played Boult's 1937 HMV recording of Bliss' Music for Strings they said it was the earliest recording they could find of the BBC Symphony Orchestra , although Boult had been making commecial records with them for HMV since April 1932, several of which had appeared on Dutton CDs.

And for real anoraks who don't mind ancient sound the Elgar Society released over 30 minutes of a 1936 Queen's Hall Gerontius with Heddle Nash .

The new SOMM release includes the 1944 BBCSO In the South on the same disc as the SNO Second Symphony. CD2 in the set includes the Choral Songs that were on an Elgar Society LP (then an EMI one) but which have never made it to CD until now. This second disc also includes some interesting interview material (I know these CDs already because I wrote the notes for the set – personally, I'm delighted to have the SNO No. 2 as its CFP incarnation was how I got to know the work).

[smittims]

Thanks for that info, makropoulos. I well remember the original broadcast of the Choral Songs . Was it in 1967? I taped it together with the long preceding talk about amateur choral singing in England (the rise of tonic-sol-fa, etc.) which was facscinating. I imagine Sir Adrian enjoyed making that programme as he had a background of conducting amateur choirs in his early days, The music was neglected on disc at that time, until Louis Halsey's wonderful Argo disc came out afew years later.

[Barbirollians]

I have just come across a splendid BBC documentary on Boult narrated by Tod Handley from 1989 on You Tube - it was only uploaded 10 days or so ago.

[smittims]

Thanks, Barbirollians. I hope others will look that up.

I think one can go on indefinitely celebrating Sir Adrian's work. It's irrelevant to argue about 'greatness' (both Toscanini and Futwangler have many detractors) ; he was unique , and an example to follow in so many ways , not least his selfless championing of new and neglected music, and his relationship, with musicians, supporting the LPO and New Philharmonia at crucial moments in their lives. I remember quite late in his career he gave up a day to come to hear ad advise young hopeful would-be conductors at a local venue, which another grand celebrity would not have thought of doing .

[Pulcinella]

Would that more aspiring conductors had studied this, imho: part of his legacy they might well benefit from!

This handbook was written in 1920 for private circulaton amongst members of the Conducting Class at the Royal College of Music, and published later. This is the revised version aimed at helping those who work with choirs, orchestras, wind, military or brass bands, as well as teachers of music in all schools and music colleges.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADRIAN-BOULT-HANDBOOK-TECHNIQUE-CONDUCTING/dp/0711998272

[pastoralguy]

I’ve always loved the story that he would arrive at Abbey Road by bus for big recording sessions!

[cloughie]

I’ve always loved the story that he would arrive at Abbey Road by bus for big recording sessions!

…and that was long before the days of seniors’ Oyster Cards!
I like the fact that in the 70s his recording of Brahms 3rd was made in the spare session time from his efficient recording of another work. Not only was it completed in, I imagine little more than acsingle take and so well received that the other symphonies followed in the following months.

[LMcD]

I have just come across a splendid BBC documentary on Boult narrated by Tod Handley from 1989 on You Tube - it was only uploaded 10 days or so ago.

Ooooh - I must have a look at that!

[Hitch]

One recording that doesn't get mentioned often, perhaps because of its fragmentary nature, is Boult's recording of Wagner overtures & preludes on EMI, split between the New Philharmonia and the LPO. It serves as an efficient (and enjoyable) introduction to Wagner.

[smittims]

Yes, I especially like the Faust Overture and the Siegfied Idyll from that set. They remind us that his experience of Wagner went back to Richter, before Toscanini and Furtwangler.