Barenboim recordings of English music?

[visualnickmos]

How do you rate Barenboim as a conductor of music by English composers?

I particularly like his recording with Jacqueline Du Pre of Elgar's cello concerto.....

[Stanfordian]

How do you rate Barenboim as a conductor of music by English composers?

I particularly like his recording with Jacqueline Du Pre of Elgar's cello concerto.....

Barenboim likes to programme and conduct some English music. For example in January 2012 in Berlin he conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker in Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius.

[Roehre]

His recordings of Elgar symphonies (1970s CBS) were not received that well, but I personally think they show more of the links between Elgar and what happened in Germanic symphonic art at the time of their composition than many others, including my favourites, the Barbirollis. With Barenboim you do understand Strauss' definitely positive remarks regarding Elgar's standing as a composer immediately.

[EdgeleyRob]

Barenboim has recorded quite a bit of Elgar but I'm only familiar with the Cello Concerto.
I wonder what he'd make of the Vaughan Williams Symphonies.
Does anyone know if he has ever conducted RVW in concert.

[cloughie]

His recordings of Elgar symphonies (1970s CBS) were not received that well, but I personally think they show more of the links between Elgar and what happened in Germanic symphonic art at the time of their composition than many others, including my favourites, the Barbirollis. With Barenboim you do understand Strauss' definitely positive remarks regarding Elgar's standing as a composer immediately.

I think his No2 in particular was criticised for artificial portamenti. I always liked his Sea Pictures with Yvonne Minton but that may be down to her beautiful singing with restrained vibrato compared to other singers in this. I liked his Elgar VC both with Perlman and Zukerman and the Delius/VW/Walton disc with the ECO on DG is also very good. He doesn't appear to have done much English music in recent years - it would be interesting to hear whether his interpretation of Elgar's music has changed in 40 years! Incidentally there is a chunk of his recordings from CBS in the 70s which have stubbornly never appeared on CD (Debussy, Ravel, Berlioz all with OdeP , Tchaik 4 with NYPO to name a few)

[Roehre]

....and the Delius/VW/Walton disc with the ECO on DG is also very good. ...

...which I bought (in 1976 IIRC) for Walton's "touch her soft lips and part" (Henry V)...

[Barbirollians]

A very good Enigma on CBS too .

[richardfinegold]

Barenboim has recorded quite a bit of Elgar but I'm only familiar with the Cello Concerto.
I wonder what he'd make of the Vaughan Williams Symphonies.
Does anyone know if he has ever conducted RVW in concert.

Not while he was MD in Chicago

[mathias broucek]

Not while he was MD in Chicago

However down the road in Cleveland they were making merry with RVW

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/Apr06/RVW_4&6_4954226.htm

[Barbirollians]

Yes there are one or two occasions where Barenboim rather overdoes the ritardandos but I have enjoyed the Berlin Staatskapelle Elgar 2 enormously . The playing is sensational and puts Elgar at the heart of European musical tradition there is a weight that is really compelling .

Why I wonder does it move me so much - I think because it is a performance that has a Barbirolli feeling at its heart especially the Larghetto .

Highly recommended .

[Petrushka]

Yes there are one or two occasions where Barenboim rather overdoes the ritardandos but I have enjoyed the Berlin Staatskapelle Elgar 2 enormously . The playing is sensational and puts Elgar at the heart of European musical tradition there is a weight that is really compelling .

Why I wonder does it move me so much - I think because it is a performance that has a Barbirolli feeling at its heart especially the Larghetto .

Highly recommended .

Agree absolutely and also with Roehre in message 3 above. The 1981 recording of the Elgar Violin Concerto with Perlman and the Chicago SO has been a personal favourite since its release and would be my first choice.

[Barbirollians]

Agree absolutely and also with Roehre in message 3 above. The 1981 recording of the Elgar Violin Concerto with Perlman and the Chicago SO has been a personal favourite since its release and would be my first choice.

That Perlman/Barenboim has been very unfairly criticised as being too much surface beauty . It is a wonderful account and Perlman's ease simply brings out the quality of the music .

I also agree about the Barenboim /ECO recordings now on Australian Eloquence - excellent VW Oboe and Tuba Concertos in particular .

[Barbirollians]

I have been listening to the Barenboim Elgar 2 again and it really is a great record . By no means a library choice but it is completely idiomatic and very moving . I look forward to their Elgar 1 .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Why I wonder does it move me so much - I think because it is a performance that has a Barbirolli feeling at its heart especially the Larghetto .

Highly recommended .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Why I wonder does it move me so much - I think because it is a performance that has a Barbirolli feeling at its heart especially the Larghetto .

Highly recommended .