This is for any lovers of English music who happen to have in their collections Andre Previn's recording of the Vaughan Williams 4th Symphony and also Jeffrey Tate's of the Elgar 2nd, both with the LSO. On You Tube the two conductors play each work in radio broadcasts with American orchestras, the Houston Symphony in Previn's case and the San Francisco Symphony in Tate's. One member of the RVW Society has already told me that the Houston RVW4 is "stupendous," not an adjective one usually hears in relation to the Previn / LSO recording, whilst a comment under the San Francisco Elgar performance declares it to be "better than Tate's studio version in London."
If you'd like to see if you agree, here is the Houston RVW4 from 1969 ...
And here is the San Francisco Elgar 2 in 1987 ...
I seem to recall that Tate was criticised for several passages in his LSO recording which slowed down to tortoise-like tempos and you get that in this performance too. Still, the SFSO is a great US orchestra and their excellent playing brings much vitality to the work.
If you'd like to see if you agree, here is the Houston RVW4 from 1969 ...
And here is the San Francisco Elgar 2 in 1987 ...
I seem to recall that Tate was criticised for several passages in his LSO recording which slowed down to tortoise-like tempos and you get that in this performance too. Still, the SFSO is a great US orchestra and their excellent playing brings much vitality to the work.
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