Elgar's Hillside

[karlhenning]

The Daniel was also the first that I heard, but maybe I find the LSO Davis recording slightly more exciting in the climaxes. However both are excellent, and both are inexpensive, so you don't have to choose between them, buy them both!

I did find a dirt-cheap copy of the Daniel, so . . . it's on its way.  For the longest time, since I was still at arm's length with the First and Second, my thoughts did not turn at all to the Third. But now, that's all changed . . . .

[Mirror Image]

Heard that for the first time recently, as I make my gradual way through the Andrew Davis Elgar box-let. A minor work, but lovely, indeed.

You could say that all of those works I listed in my post above are minor, but sometimes minor works are where the true gold is found.

[Mirror Image]

Nice to see you here as well, John! haha I absolutely adore the Wand of Youth Suites and Nursery Suite! So much wonderful music. I think the Wand of Youth Suites would be in my top 10 Elgar pieces, don't you just adore the tuneful, delightful movements such as "Little Bells" and "Fountain Dance" and the excitement and thrill in the two finales! "Dream Children" is such a beautiful piece, I agree! When I was on holiday in Italy, I would listen to that every day to start my morning while overlooking the beautiful view of Lake Como we had from our balcony. It is such a beautiful piece, so melodic and charming, and yet so simple! I also own the Judd naxos release you talk about, it is certainly excellent. A must for any Elgar fan! As you seem to like the Wand of Youth suites/nursery suite/Dream Children, I will recommend this cd on Chandos which has all three!




I am sure you will love the Boult EMI, may I also suggest Sir Mark Elder's excellent releases with the Halle?

Have a nice day everyone!
Daniel

Thanks for the recommendation, Daniel. I'll have to checkout that Chandos recording. I have a 2-CD set of Bryden Thomson conducting Elgar's symphonies and some other works, but I haven't even heard it yet. Have you heard this set?

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[Vesteralen]

And this brings me to the second symphony. I think all this talk about it being 'harder' does it a dis-service.

I realize the conversation has moved way on past this (in the usual very interesting ways).  But, I did want to clarify something, since I'm clearly one who has expressed the idea that I haven't yet come to appreciate the 2nd.

As I've gotten older, if there is one thing about my reactions to music that has changed, it's this:

I try really hard not to have fixed ideas toward particular pieces - as in "I'll never get this!"

Instead, I try to cultivate the attitude, "I haven't gotten this yet."

Not only is it more honest, it also give me a lot to look forward to.   

[madaboutmahler]

Thanks for the recommendation, Daniel. I'll have to checkout that Chandos recording. I have a 2-CD set of Bryden Thomson conducting Elgar's symphonies and some other works, but I haven't even heard it yet. Have you heard this set?

[asin]B0007SK9ME[/asin]

Pleasure. That is a rather good set, yes. The LPO are on top form here and give a beautiful performance, although Thomson's tempi are certainly on the more broad side, which is not always a good thing. I am not sure how you prefer your Elgar, different people prefer the interpretation in different ways. I prefer allegros to be more on the lively side and for the slower sections to be broad enough to allow the beauty of the music to speak. Why I like Solti! As you say you like Barbirolli, you probably like your Elgar a little broader generally, so the Thomson recordings should be good for you. I may point out that Thomson's performance of the 1st movement of the 2nd symphony is a whole 5 minutes longer than the Solti, and this, for me, is just a tad too slow...
Good performances nevertheless! Plus it comes with one of my favourite performances of the Froissart Overture which I enjoy very much, not sure what you think of this work, but I love it!

[Mirror Image]

Pleasure. That is a rather good set, yes. The LPO are on top form here and give a beautiful performance, although Thomson's tempi are certainly on the more broad side, which is not always a good thing. I am not sure how you prefer your Elgar, different people prefer the interpretation in different ways. I prefer allegros to be more on the lively side and for the slower sections to be broad enough to allow the beauty of the music to speak. Why I like Solti! As you say you like Barbirolli, you probably like your Elgar a little broader generally, so the Thomson recordings should be good for you. I may point out that Thomson's performance of the 1st movement of the 2nd symphony is a whole 5 minutes longer than the Solti, and this, for me, is just a tad too slow...
Good performances nevertheless! Plus it comes with one of my favourite performances of the Froissart Overture which I enjoy very much, not sure what you think of this work, but I love it!

Thanks for the feedback about the Thomson, Daniel. What's the deal with The Sanguine Fan? What's this work like? I never heard it. Isn't it a ballet or something? It's marked Op. 81, which means that it's probably one of the last works he composed.

[71 dB]

This thread has become so busy I barely have time to read all your posts. 

That's also why I am so passive here. I am afraid to say stupid things if I don't think carefully what I say about Elgar and his music. I simply don't have enough time for that. I have 70 minutes before it's 11pm in Finland and time to sleep...

[71 dB]

What's the deal with The Sanguine Fan? What's this work like? I never heard it. Isn't it a ballet or something? It's marked Op. 81, which means that it's probably one of the last works he composed.

Yes, it's a ballet but short one. Nice piece.

[mc ukrneal]

This thread has become so busy I barely have time to read all your posts. 

That's also why I am so passive here. I am afraid to say stupid things if I don't think carefully what I say about Elgar and his music. I simply don't have enough time for that. I have 70 minutes before it's 11pm in Finland and time to sleep...

Not possible. Don't hesitate. We're all on the same side as Elgar!

[karlhenning]

FWIW, I took a negative impression of The Sanguine Fan from the Naxos release . . . I should be glad to erase that, though.

[Mirror Image]

FWIW, I took a negative impression of The Sanguine Fan from the Naxos release . . . I should be glad to erase that, though.

I'll have to listen to at some point.

[Mirror Image]

What does everybody think of Falstaff?

[karlhenning]

What does everybody think of Falstaff?

Love it, though (again, as with The Sanguine Fan) the Naxos release (a disc which I bought in order to get to know Falstaff) made me think none too well of it.  Much, much better is the Elder/Hallé recording.  (I haven't yet listened to the Falstaff in the A. Davis reissue.)

[Elgarian]

I'm not quite as convinced as you are, but your thoughts on the matter are interesting (and different). And if they are helpful and important to you in understanding the music, then following where they lead is worthwhile.

I think one problem arises because when we have these discussions, we tend to think we're talking about the same thing - but we're probably not because we're each searching for subtly (or not so subtly) different outcomes. So I might suggest that it's not so much a matter of whether you or I or anyone else 'is convinced' of a particular idea; it's more a matter of what kind of result we're seeking. In my case, I find Elgar the man entirely fascinating, and there's a continual interplay between listening to the music to understand the man better, and learning about the man in order to understand the music better. That really is a very different kind of enquiry, compared with someone who sits down and listens to the 2nd symphony knowing nothing (and wanting to know nothing) about the composer of it. I think what I'm suggesting is that to a large extent we get differently nuanced answers because we're asking differently nuanced questions.

It's a bit like asking why Monet painted outdoors. One might reply (a) because the invention of tubed paint made it so much easier to do so; or (b) because he was interested in recording light effects. Both answers are true; but different questioners will get differing degrees of satisfaction from each of the two answers according to what their hopes were at the outset.

[Mirror Image]

Love it, though (again, as with The Sanguine Fan) the Naxos release (a disc which I bought in order to get to know Falstaff) made me think none too well of it.  Much, much better is the Elder/Hallé recording.  (I haven't yet listened to the Falstaff in the A. Davis reissue.)

Yeah, I always liked Falstaff. I think I only have a few performances of it, but my favorite is probably Barbirolli's on EMI, though the A. Davis is quite good as well.

[71 dB]

I have always felt that Elgar's 2nd symphony is about how Elgar felt the nation was "walking blindly" into a war, how Elgar felt frustrated about this and how he wanted to give hope that things would go well.

[Elgarian]

This thread has become so busy I barely have time to read all your posts. 

I know the feeling. I can't remember a time when so many people had so many interesting things to say about Elgar and his music!

[madaboutmahler]

Thanks for the feedback about the Thomson, Daniel. What's the deal with The Sanguine Fan? What's this work like? I never heard it. Isn't it a ballet or something? It's marked Op. 81, which means that it's probably one of the last works he composed.

Well, the Sanguine Fan is a one act ballet which was written to raise money for wartime charities. Well, yes, it was a late work. In fact I believe it was written a year before his "last major work", the cello concerto. It's not exactly my favourite of his works, but still contains some beautiful music, it just seems to be lacking that extra bundle of inspiration that is present in the symphonies/concertos etc.

What does everybody think of Falstaff?

Absolutely love it! So much exciting music! Not as beautiful as his other works, but so much amazing music! hmm... the A.Davis/BBCSO would be my second choice. It seems to lack a bit of enthusiasm from the orchestra compared to Sir Mark Elder's thrilling performance with the Halle. I thoroughly recommend this performance, certainly the most exciting I have heard to date! I have not heard Barbirolli's performance, nor the Solti, Mackerras or Barenboim yet...

Have a nice evening,
Daniel

[TheGSMoeller]

Love it, though (again, as with The Sanguine Fan) the Naxos release (a disc which I bought in order to get to know Falstaff) made me think none too well of it.  Much, much better is the Elder/Hallé recording.  (I haven't yet listened to the Falstaff in the A. Davis reissue.)

Agree, the Naxos Falstaff is the only recording I own, love the music but felt that there could be a much better performance, Elder/Halle will hopefully soon make its way to my collection.

Speaking of collection...

[asin]B000000A9N[/asin]

...just landed today, thanks to this thread! As soon as my son goes to bed I'm planing a listen.

[Elgarian]

Funny thing about Falstaff. I know it's highly regarded; I can hear some of its qualities myself; but in all these years I've never grown to love it, always feel reluctant to listen to it, and then when I do and it's all over, I think something like: 'Right then. Duty done for another year.'

I've no idea why this is. I suppose music is like conversation in that respect: some conversations can be acknowledged to be very worthy and full of wisdom, wit and erudition, but simply don't interest us.