Elgar (1857-1934)

[french frank]

I suspect it was that little 'Close this thread' button that lurks, left, just below the reply pane. If the cursor happens to be over it when you next click it closes the thread without being noticed. Nothing sinister We can delete these once it's sorted.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm not up to speed Alpie, did you mean to close this thread?

Oh no! Not again.

[LMcD]

...and no Barbirolli, Solti or Thomson!

I already have a guilty conscience about the CDs in my collection that rarely if ever get played....

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I already have a guilty conscience about the CDs in my collection that rarely if ever get played....

I know what you mean. Nowadays, it's Barbirolli or nothing.

[LMcD]

I know what you mean. Nowadays, it's Barbirolli or nothing.

If I had to cut back to just one recording of each symphony, I'd probably go for Vernon Handley. (He'd also probably be my no. 1 choice for most of the Vaughan Williams symphonies)

[Barbirollians]

If I had to cut back to just one recording of each symphony, I'd probably go for Vernon Handley. (He'd also probably be my no. 1 choice for most of the Vaughan Williams symphonies)

Barbirolli is essential ! The 2cd set of him conducting the symphonies coupled with Silvestri’s stunning recording of In the South and Norman del Mar’ s very lovely account of the Serenade for Strings can be had for less than a fiver second hand on Amazon.

[cloughie]

Barbirolli is essential ! The 2cd set of him conducting the symphonies coupled with Silvestri’s stunning recording of In the South and Norman del Mar’ s very lovely account of the Serenade for Strings can be had for less than a fiver second hand on Amazon.

It's on Spotify - have a listen.

[EdgeleyRob]

I think Mackerras is excellent in the Symphonies but I'm in a minority probably.

[LMcD]

Barbirolli is essential ! The 2cd set of him conducting the symphonies coupled with Silvestri’s stunning recording of In the South and Norman del Mar’ s very lovely account of the Serenade for Strings can be had for less than a fiver second hand on Amazon.

Duly noted! What a shame I have to wait until the Autumn before I start to drop hints about birthday presents. I'm getting the feeling that I shall be contacting the 'river people' before then....

[Alison]

I think Mackerras is excellent in the Symphonies but I'm in a minority probably.

I’m with you there Rob. Two highly treasured discs in my collection.

Rightly or wrongly I seem to communicate more readily with artists I’ve seen in the flesh.

[BBMmk2]

I’m with you there Rob. Two highly treasured discs in my collection.

Rightly or wrongly I seem to communicate more readily with artists I’ve seen in the flesh.

Probably why I like Robert Simpson’s music. The only composer I really had a good chat with. What a gentleman!

I haven’t heard those versions of the Symphonies

[Pabmusic]

Don't ignore the Naxos discs of the symphonies, either. George Hurst does No. 1, Ted Downes No. 2. (Wasn't Hurst going to do both, but became ill?) They are lovely fresh performances by two unsung veterans.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Don't ignore the Naxos discs of the symphonies, either. George Hurst does No. 1, Ted Downes No. 2. (Wasn't Hurst going to do both, but became ill?) They are lovely fresh performances by two unsung veterans.

Ah, George Hirst. Yes, he was a very fine conductor, but when I see his name, all I can think of is smoke. He conducted most of the BBC Northern Orchestra Midday Proms, broadcast live from Manchester Town Hall in the 1960s. During the interval, half of the orchestra lit up their cigarettes, and the rest of us were nearly choking form then onwards.

[Pabmusic]

Ah, George Hirst. Yes, he was a very fine conductor, but when I see his name, all I can think of is smoke. He conducted most of the BBC Northern Orchestra Midday Proms, broadcast live from Manchester Town Hall in the 1960s. During the interval, half of the orchestra lit up their cigarettes, and the rest of us were nearly choking form then onwards.

Yes. And both discs are with the BBC Phil (Northern as was).

[Once Was 4]

Don't ignore the Naxos discs of the symphonies, either. George Hurst does No. 1, Ted Downes No. 2. (Wasn't Hurst going to do both, but became ill?) They are lovely fresh performances by two unsung veterans.

I agree about the Hurst Elgar 1 - wonderful! Hurst could be a very difficult man who affected a Polish accent (or some such) although he was actually Scottish but of Eastern European parentage; people used to claim that he was Canadian but this was not true although he had studied in Toronto.

As to Downes: he would not conduct Elgar 1 which he considered 'jingoistic' which, of course, is nonsense. But he did seem to have affinity for Elgar 2 and his description of its slow movement as "watching a funeral through a veil" was highly emotive. He came to a very sad, but very courageous, end. Despite his left wing views he was quite happy to be 'Sir Edward' and he certainly deserved to be. He was the 4th horn in the premiere of Britten's Peter Grimes and he once admonished me for playing a 6th horn passage in Strauss's Friedenstag "as though it is a Kopprasch study" (the Kopprasch studies are wonderful for developing horn technique but deadly boring as music) I still get repeat fees for that Friedenstag recording which was in about 1972 or 73.