Elgar's Hillside

[Elgarian]

We just don't know, and will have to carry on as best we can!

Yep. Just another of those things we humans have to put up with, along with War, Pestilence, and Famine.

[DavidRoss]

Yep. Just another of those things we humans have to put up with, along with War, Pestilence, and Famine.

And Yanni...mustn't forget Yanni.

[karlhenning]

I think he's covered under Pestilence, Dave.

[DavidRoss]

I think he's covered under Pestilence, Dave.

Oh.  Along with Jim Carrey.

[Elgarian]

I'm quite content to see 'Pestilence' used as a kind of catch-all bin for all those things that don't count as War or Famine. I'm inclined to think that 'Not Knowing Whether Elgar Speeded Up His Performances When He Made Recordings' must remain as a category of its own though.

[71 dB]

Spirit of England (Gibson) still has not arrived! I ordered it 3 weeks ago!

[71 dB]

Spirit of England (Gibson) still has not arrived! I ordered it 3 weeks ago!

Now, a week later I must quote myself and tell the damn disc never arrived.
The seller doesn't have a replacement so a refund is arranged.

[karlhenning]

That's a drag, Poju! And it's such a beautiful piece, too.

[DavidRoss]

I'm quite content to see 'Pestilence' used as a kind of catch-all bin for all those things that don't count as War or Famine. I'm inclined to think that 'Not Knowing Whether Elgar Speeded Up His Performances When He Made Recordings' must remain as a category of its own though.

So (1) War, (2) Famine, (3) Pestilence, and (4) Presumably definitive recordings of compositions conducted by their composers that may prove less than definitive due to technical considerations or strategic marketing decisions (breathe!) is not acceptable concerning Elgar?

[Elgarian]

So (1) War, (2) Famine, (3) Pestilence, and (4) Presumably definitive recordings of compositions conducted by their composers that may prove less than definitive due to technical considerations or strategic marketing decisions (breathe!) is not acceptable concerning Elgar?

Well, my list wasn't declared to be a list of unacceptables, Dave. It was presented as a list that comprises, as part of the human condition, things we have to put up with. If Montaigne were still with us, I'd like to think he might have changed 'To philosophise is to learn how to die' to 'To philosophise is to learn how to accept uncertainty with regard to Elgar's recordings'. As it is, we'll never know. So it's just another one of those things that we humans have to put up with. Which brings us to:

Category 5: Not knowing what Montaigne might have said if he'd known what he didn't.

etc.
etc.

[DavidRoss]

Oh, goodie!  I just love infinite regression!

And as long as we're discussing Elgar (we were discussing Elgar, weren't we?), I think this lovely disc mentioned elsewhere today is due for a spin:

[asin]B00003ZKRL[/asin]

Oh, goodness!  In seeking the Amazon image I just discovered that it's shamefully inexpensive these days.  Haruumph!

[kishnevi]

Oh, goodie!  I just love infinite regression!

And as long as we're discussing Elgar (we were discussing Elgar, weren't we?), I think this lovely disc mentioned elsewhere today is due for a spin:

[asin]B00003ZKRL[/asin]

Oh, goodness!  In seeking the Amazon image I just discovered that it's shamefully inexpensive these days.  Haruumph!

Oh, goodie!  The Elgar pieces are all in the  sort of big EMI box I have yet to start listening to. 
So I don't have to buy it.  I just have to find the VW pieces in some other issue--hopefully the sort of big EMI Vaughn Williams box I intend to get one of these days.

[DavidRoss]

Oh, goodie!  The Elgar pieces are all in the  sort of big EMI box I have yet to start listening to. 
So I don't have to buy it.  I just have to find the VW pieces in some other issue--hopefully the sort of big EMI Vaughn Williams box I intend to get one of these days.

Way cool.  Those are great recordings of some of Elgar's best stuff.  The RVW pieces are everywhere, but Barbirolli does 'em proud.  Come to think of it, Barbirolli did most things proud.

[Elgarian]

we were discussing Elgar, weren't we?)

It's good to touch base sometimes, in these deep exchanges that take us where no previous thinking has led; so yes, let's reassure ourselves that we were talking about Elgar. Speaking of which, I can present the assembled company with (a) two images; and (b) news of an interesting cheap CD set. First, the images:

Sunset on Thursday evening, viewed from the British Camp on the top of the Herefordshire Beacon (the site that inspired the composition of Caractacus)




Elgar's Birthplace cottage, as of yesterday afternoon.




And finally, the CD set:

 

Now this looks interesting for several reasons. First, Bisengaliev released two CDs of Elgar's chamber music some years ago (still available but not usually cheap), and those two CDs are included in this 3-CD set. I've owned one of those for some time, and his violin sonata is definitely worth listening to. However, he has now (much more recently) recorded the violin concerto, and this new recording has been bundled with the two earlier CDs in this very attractive Naxos set, which is cheap enough for me to be able to buy it without worrying about duplicating the sonata CD. I think (but am not yet certain) that this set includes every violin work by Elgar, including some rare oddments. The big question is: what's his violin concerto like? I'll report back when I've listened.

[71 dB]

And finally, the CD set:

 

Now this looks interesting for several reasons. First, Bisengaliev released two CDs of Elgar's chamber music some years ago (still available but not usually cheap), and those two CDs are included in this 3-CD set. I've owned one of those for some time, and his violin sonata is definitely worth listening to. However, he has now (much more recently) recorded the violin concerto, and this new recording has been bundled with the two earlier CDs in this very attractive Naxos set, which is cheap enough for me to be able to buy it without worrying about duplicating the sonata CD. I think (but am not yet certain) that this set includes every violin work by Elgar, including some rare oddments. The big question is: what's his violin concerto like? I'll report back when I've listened.

I own those 2 Bisengaliev discs released on Black Box label. It's just my luck that when Naxos releases a 3 CD set of Elgar's music, I already own two thirds of it.

I had much more luck with Carly Simon. I got into her music this summer and still haven't bought any of her early albums. Only the later ones.
Now, Rhino label is releasing this October a cheap 5 CD set of her 5 first albums. How convenient! 

[Vesteralen]

Just a quick check in, since I don't like to visit here too often and break up the flow of the thread.

But, touching on something we talked about a while ago, I've been reading several books on Elgar - both ones recommended here, and ones not.

I couldn't find copies of the Rosa Burley or Dora Powell books, but I am reading Reed's book and I find it unusually entertaining.  The anecdotes are great, some of them truly hilarious.  Some claim he sees things through rose-colored glasses, but everything sounds very true to life to me, so what do I know? (The bicycle ride with Dr Sinclair and the interactions with the handyman Mark are priceless)

I'm continuing with Anderson's book even though it reads like a notebook rather than a book, mainly because it's the most comprehensive one I have access to.

De-la-Noy's book purports to take the lid off the real Elgar story, but so far I haven't read anything more revealing or illuminating than I've read elsewhere.  He is a better writer than Anderson, though, so I'm enjoying it.

"The Spirit of England" by Moore is woefully short , but well written, and I'd say that Moore sounds like the most authoritative source of all of them.  I'd like to find his full-scale Elgar book at a reasonable price, but my library system lists the book only to say it is missing or damaged.  Hmmmph.

I have discovered, however, that Elgar was a much more mysterious personality than I thought.  His mood swings and occasional rudeness are a little off-putting, but overall he seems to have also had a sense of humor, so it all sort of cancels out. 

[Sergeant Rock]

I had much more luck with Carly Simon. I got into her music this summer and still haven't bought any of her early albums. Only the later ones.
Now, Rhino label is releasing this October a cheap 5 CD set of her 5 first albums. How convenient! 

Just my luck: I bought Anticipation and No Secrets recently 


Sarge

[Elgarian]

I couldn't find copies of the Rosa Burley or Dora Powell books, but I am reading Reed's book and I find it unusually entertaining.  The anecdotes are great, some of them truly hilarious.  Some claim he sees things through rose-colored glasses, but everything sounds very true to life to me, so what do I know? (The bicycle ride with Dr Sinclair and the interactions with the handyman Mark are priceless)

Given that you're so obviously enjoying Reed I'd say, even more emphatically than before, that you'd find it worth trying to get hold of Burley and Powell. That smack of 'I was there' that you're responding to is irresistible in all of them.

Moore sounds like the most authoritative source of all of them.

He is, and all Elgarians are in great debt to the man. But I've never warmed to his manner of writing, which comes in staccato bursts of information that I find hard to absorb or enjoy. I've just been rereading his Elgar - Child of Dreams, which has a very real and valuable case to make, with a core of real insight at its heart ... but oh, it's so frustrating to read. I feel always on the verge of being overwhelmed by the torrent of fact interspersed with musical examples that somehow seem to distract attention from his central case rather than lead towards it.

I have discovered, however, that Elgar was a much more mysterious personality than I thought.  His mood swings and occasional rudeness are a little off-putting, but overall he seems to have also had a sense of humor, so it all sort of cancels out.

An interesting way of looking at it, as a set of pluses and minuses; I think the episodes of rudeness tend to spring from, or to hide, his insecurities and tendency to depression, and to understand the cause of an offensive comment sometimes provides a way of not being troubled by it. Of course if I'd been the butt of one of his jibes, I'm sure I'd think differently, but viewing them from a distance isn't the same thing! The really telling fact, though, is the degree to which he seems to have inspired a deep and abiding friendship in those closest to him: Reed, Jaeger, Burley, Dorabella, Windflower, etc. That suggests they understood him pretty well, and mostly recognised the little outbursts for what they were.

[71 dB]

Just ordered Gibson's Spirit of England disc again. Amazon had informed me about the refund. maybe this time...

Just my luck: I bought Anticipation and No Secrets recently 


Sarge

Yeah, I know you did.    Now you just have to calculate if the 3 other albums are cheaper separately or not. That is if you are going to get them...

[TheGSMoeller]

Just ordered Gibson's Spirit of England disc again. Amazon had informed me about the refund. maybe this time...

Hopefully it works this time for you! I ordered a copy of Gibson's Spirit of England a few weeks ago because of the write ups on this thread, and loving it!