Elgar

[Cockney Sparrow]

Just to say, if only in the UK, his work gets plenty of performances, so there are those who appreciate its qualities. Regardless of whether he was a composer in the context of a Colonial country.

And not all admirers come from this country -
"......Orchestra/Yevgeny Svetlanov. rec. live, 21 April 1983, Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory"

"The great Russian conductor recalls attending a performance of Gerontius in London: “I dreamed of performing the oratorio with which I acquainted myself in the 60s. The first impression was so strong that I shall always remember all the details of that amazing performance in the 6000-seat Albert hall under the unforgettable Sir Malcolm Sargent.” Svetlanov goes on to relate that in 1981 his dream came true and he conducted Gerontius twice in the Festival Hall with the LSO and LSO Chorus and English soloists"

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2015/Feb/Elgar_Gerontius_MELCD1002266.htm

[Pulcinella]

You mean apart from Haitink, Slatkin, Previn, Sinopoli, Zinman, Sinaisky, Jurowski, Monteux, Mehta, Toscanini, Muti, Barenboim, Solti, Petrenko, Bernstein, Levine, Oramo, Stokowski, Svetlanov, Rozhdestvensky and Dutoit!

Jochum too, at least in the Enigma Variations.

[gradus]

Meant to say that what always brings me back to EE if my attention has wandered from him, are the Wand of Youth suites - I don't think they smack of puffed-up over-fussy Victoriana (not my view I hasten to add), just delightful music redolent of childhood.

[DracoM]

Yes, Intro and Allegro - can manage that any time.

[LMcD]

After Enigma, the Cello Concerto, and of course Pomp and Circumstance, I have tried hard to embrace the rest of his output but I don't like any of it. The admonitions to "forget the Britishness"
are hinting at an issue. Even in this day of globalization it's rare to encounter non British performers in his work. It's redolent of Victorian England at it's most stuffy and pompous, and yes, these may be fighting words here but that is how most people from other places perceive it.

May I respectfully suggest that you're not looking hard enough?
You only need to scroll down Presto Classical's list of 138 recordings of the cello concerto to see how many - some of them the recipients of numerous critical accolades and prizes - feature non-British orchestras/soloists/conductors.
Recent BBC Record Review/CD Review 'top picks' include Truls Mork and Pieter Wispelwey in the cello concerto, Pierre Monteux's 'Enigma Variations' and the Berlin Staatskapelle under Daniel Barenboim for the 1st symphony.
I don't think the Wand Of Youth Suites, In the South, the Piano Quintet, the Violin Sonata, the String Quartet, the music for wind band or the incidental music to King Arthur - to give just a few examples - can possibly be considered stuffy or pompous.
The Elgar Society's concert listing page includes numerous example of non-Brits apparently brave enough to take on his 'stuffy and pompous' works.
In January 2020, a concert in which Australian Simone Young conducted the New York Philharmonic included a well-received 'Enigma Variations'.
Leonard Slatkin's 'Enigma' and 'In the South' are both favourites chez nous.

[Serial_Apologist]

Agreed! This issue has been previously discussed at length on the 'Elgar' thread in the 'Composers' sub-forum, which which this thread could be merged(?). With his combination of genuine emotion, admirable restraint (e.g. the last movement of the 2nd symphony), and wonderful orchestration skills, Elgar has become more and more important to me with the passage of time. I'm not ashamed to admit that tears are never very far away, especially when the sheer beauty and emotional power of what I'm hearing leads me to reflect on what, as a nation, we seem to be in the process of throwing away. The three great chamber works are perhaps deserving of more attention than they sometimes seem to attract, and the music for wind band is absolutely delightful.

I am wondering what that could possibly be - I certainly don't hear whatever it might be in Elgar's music: in Vaughan Williams's and, especially Holst's, namely a relationship to the William Morris side of the English socialist movement with its emphasis on secular vision, participation, community arts and education for disadvantaged people, yes; but I don't find any of that in Elgar. Maybe you are thinking of something else?

[LMcD]

I am wondering what that could possibly be - I certainly don't hear whatever it might be in Elgar's music: in Vaughan Williams's and, especially Holst's, namely a relationship to the William Morris side of the English socialist movement with its emphasis on secular vision, participation, community arts and education for disadvantaged people, yes; but I don't find any of that in Elgar. Maybe you are thinking of something else?

I find there's what I would describe as a kind of dignified melancholy in some of Elgar's music - for example the less- than- triumphant last movement of the 2nd symphony and throughout the string quartet. I think he's telling us that it's OK to be proud and patriotic, especially when things are going well, as long as we remember that we also need to be humble enough to accept and learn to cope with the inevitable disappointments that will come our way. I think we're in danger of kidding ourselves that the rest of the world is out of step with us and can teach us nothing. We need to remember that not everything can be 'fixed' just like that and that wisdom takes many forms, not all of which we are prepared to recognize.

[Edgy 2]

Yes tears and goosebumps are never far away here when I'm listening to Elgar,the aching of an English heart for a country going/gone down the pan (ignore that,just a random thing that came to mind or I might have read it somewhere)
The world would be a dull place if we all liked or got or listened to the same stuff.
Plenty of things I don't 'get' and in many cases I've decided life is too short to be bothered to keep trying (Sibelius,Nielsen,jazz,Italian Opera,Lieder.....)

[Edgy 2]

Talking of non British artists in EE, I listened to a super recent release of the Violin Concerto today.

Triin Ruubel with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi (Sorel classics)
Much more satisfying emotionally than the recently discussed Benedetti/Jurowski recording

[Alison]

Talking of non British artists in EE, I listened to a super recent release of the Violin Concerto today.

Triin Ruubel with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi (Sorel classics)
Much more satisfying emotionally than the recently discussed Benedetti/Jurowski recording

Cheers Edge, had not seen this one. I still feel each release of this work to be an ‘event’!

[Edgy 2]

Cheers Edge, had not seen this one. I still feel each release of this work to be an ‘event’!

It's in the Naxos Library to try before you buy if you have access chuck,probably lots of other places too

[Petrushka]

I find there's what I would describe as a kind of dignified melancholy in some of Elgar's music.

I prefer to think of it as a sort of wistful nostalgia and it's always present in his music, especially in the two symphonies and, above all, the Violin Concerto, an aching feeling for 'what might have been'. It's worth remembering that the Symphony No 2 dates from 1911 and is thus contemporary with the Sibelius 4 and Mahler 9. Moreover, it shares with them an 'end of times' feeling. There is certainly no Victorian stuffiness here!

By accident of birth, Elgar was an Englishmen, but he spent a lot of time in Germany, where his music found great appreciation, and his music is squarely in the great Central European tradition of Brahms, Schumann and Dvorak plus Mahler and Strauss. I'd urge Richardfinegold to ditch all outdated preconceptions and listen to Elgar afresh with different ears. It will be well worth the effort.

[gurnemanz]

One of the top recent recordings of the Cello Concerto involves an Argentinian soloist, Sol Gabetta, a Swiss conductor, Mario Venzago, and the Danish National Symphony Orch. https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...cello-concerto

[Alison]

In a good performance the opening prelude to Gerontius in itself I find absolutely riveting and the work progresses from there: a supremely moving masterpiece if I dare say so! Awe inspiring.

Sorry, I’m sounding a bit like Suzie Klein.

[gradus]

In a good performance the opening prelude to Gerontius in itself I find absolutely riveting and the work progresses from there: a supremely moving masterpiece if I dare say so! Awe inspiring.

Sorry, I’m sounding a bit like Suzie Klein.

It was the Britten recording that really opened up the music for me albeit with his slight orchestral re-touchings. What I would have given to have heard Britten conduct Parsifal, if only he'd gone to Bayreuth.