Elgar's Hillside

Started by Mark, September 20, 2007, 02:03:01 AM

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Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Lethevich

Nothing wrong with a helping of mustard.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

mc ukrneal

Quote from: Elgarian on April 23, 2012, 11:28:34 PM
Ilaria, do you have, or have you heard (at this point, groans are heard all around, because this is a drum I frequently bang) his The Spirit of England? In a lifetime of listening to Elgar, this is the piece above all that, for me, expresses his particular sense of longing for an ideal of nobility, chivalry, brotherhood, in the face of tragedy and loss. Out of all my shelvesful of Elgar recordings, this is the one I'd take to my desert island: his most neglected masterpiece. The singing in this particular version is stupendous.



Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgar-Coronation-Ode-Spirit-England/dp/B000000A9N/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1335252242&sr=1-1
I have finally acquired this disc. I have not been to able to sit down and have a proper uninterupted listen yet. When I do, I shall post here. Preliminary impressions are mixed, but I want to really listen to it in good sound before I commit.
Be kind to your fellow posters!!

Elgarian

Quote from: mc ukrneal on April 24, 2012, 06:16:43 AM
I have finally acquired this disc.

Just in case clarification is needed: my ultra-passionate love is for the Spirit of England part of this disc - not the Coronation Ode. Not that I have anything against the latter, but it would be a long way down my personal 'Elgar favourites' list.

Karl Henning

Quote from: Lethevich on April 24, 2012, 05:28:27 AM
Nothing wrong with a helping of mustard.

You keep away from my ice cream cone, young lady!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Elgarian

Quote from: karlhenning on April 24, 2012, 08:00:49 AM
You keep away from my ice cream cone, young lady!

[*Thinks, licking lips: 'Aha! Karl has an ice cream cone, eh ...?']

madaboutmahler

Quote from: Lisztianwagner on April 23, 2012, 02:06:09 PM
I will :) I've always wanted to increase my Elgar's collection, but unfortunately here in Italy it's a little hard to find recordings which are not the Enigma Variations or Pomp & Circumstance, and unless you're a great lover of classical music, those ones are the only works you could hear talking about. :( I remember a friend of mine called Elgar "the Englishman mad for marches", because of Pomp and Circumstance, I suppose; he left me speechless.
I think I will take a look at Downes' version on Amazon to have a clearer idea of what it is like, I'm rather curious. :)
Haha, well, it would have certainly been a masterpiece, as all Karajan's performances!!

It certainly is a shame that Elgar is so little known, besides those works, outside England. He deserves better!
I think I uploaded the Downes performance to youtube actually, maybe check my 'elgarian497' channel. (I haven't been on that for ages! ;) ) Hopefully it should persuade you to get it! ;)

By the way, do you know The Dream of Gerontius, Ilaria? If so, what do you think?

Quote from: Elgarian on April 23, 2012, 11:28:34 PM
Ilaria, do you have, or have you heard (at this point, groans are heard all around, because this is a drum I frequently bang) his The Spirit of England? In a lifetime of listening to Elgar, this is the piece above all that, for me, expresses his particular sense of longing for an ideal of nobility, chivalry, brotherhood, in the face of tragedy and loss. Out of all my shelvesful of Elgar recordings, this is the one I'd take to my desert island: his most neglected masterpiece. The singing in this particular version is stupendous.



Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgar-Coronation-Ode-Spirit-England/dp/B000000A9N/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1335252242&sr=1-1

I still need to get that!!!!
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

71 dB

Quote from: madaboutmahler on April 24, 2012, 08:35:28 AM
It certainly is a shame that Elgar is so little known, besides those works, outside England. He deserves better!

Yes, Elgar deserves better but it's extremely hard to get people interested of overlooked/misundertood composers. I have learned over the years that for many Elgar is actually somewhat difficult composer to get into. To me Elgar's music spoke strongly and directly the first times I heard it without difficulties apart from the fact that Elgar's more complex works need several listening times to be completely appreciated but even in those cases the first impressions were comprehensible enough. That has been my big mistake; to assume Elgar makes a huge impact to most listeners during the first listening time. For a few years I have been much more humble regarding Elgar. I know now that it will be different path for every person discovering the greatness in Elgar's music, assuming in the end they are going to find anything positive at all.

I have also seen that there are people who are 1000 times more capable advocating Elgar than I am. I gladly leave this arena to them. My role is perhaps to drop a friendly message every now and then to keep this thread active...

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Lisztianwagner

Quote from: Elgarian on April 23, 2012, 11:28:34 PM
Ilaria, do you have, or have you heard (at this point, groans are heard all around, because this is a drum I frequently bang) his The Spirit of England? In a lifetime of listening to Elgar, this is the piece above all that, for me, expresses his particular sense of longing for an ideal of nobility, chivalry, brotherhood, in the face of tragedy and loss. Out of all my shelvesful of Elgar recordings, this is the one I'd take to my desert island: his most neglected masterpiece. The singing in this particular version is stupendous.



Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgar-Coronation-Ode-Spirit-England/dp/B000000A9N/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1335252242&sr=1-1
Quote from: madaboutmahler on April 24, 2012, 08:35:28 AM
It certainly is a shame that Elgar is so little known, besides those works, outside England. He deserves better!
I think I uploaded the Downes performance to youtube actually, maybe check my 'elgarian497' channel. (I haven't been on that for ages! ;) ) Hopefully it should persuade you to get it! ;)

By the way, do you know The Dream of Gerontius, Ilaria? If so, what do you think?

Wow, thank you for the feedback and for sending the amazon link, Alan :) I haven't heard The Spirit of England, but it sounds quite an interesting, brilliant work.

Haha, all right Daniel, I will check your Youtube channel; I'm very curious to listen to the Downes perfomances as you talk so well about them. :)
Of course I know it, I listened to Barbirolli's recording; it's superb composition, very beautiful and glorious, incredibly melodious. ;D
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." - Gustav Mahler

madaboutmahler

Quote from: 71 dB on April 24, 2012, 10:37:08 AM
Yes, Elgar deserves better but it's extremely hard to get people interested of overlooked/misundertood composers. I have learned over the years that for many Elgar is actually somewhat difficult composer to get into. To me Elgar's music spoke strongly and directly the first times I heard it without difficulties apart from the fact that Elgar's more complex works need several listening times to be completely appreciated but even in those cases the first impressions were comprehensible enough. That has been my big mistake; to assume Elgar makes a huge impact to most listeners during the first listening time. For a few years I have been much more humble regarding Elgar. I know now that it will be different path for every person discovering the greatness in Elgar's music, assuming in the end they are going to find anything positive at all.

I have also seen that there are people who are 1000 times more capable advocating Elgar than I am. I gladly leave this arena to them. My role is perhaps to drop a friendly message every now and then to keep this thread active...

I have luckily been fortunate to connect with almost every Elgar piece on my first or second hearing... and many became favourites just after those first or second hearings. The only piece I had to listen to slightly more to fully understand and enjoy was the violin concerto. I'm not sure why that was, it's a work I absolutely adore now.

Quote from: Lisztianwagner on April 24, 2012, 12:03:11 PM
Haha, all right Daniel, I will check your Youtube channel; I'm very curious to listen to the Downes perfomances as you talk so well about them. :)
Of course I know it, I listened to Barbirolli's recording; it's superb composition, very beautiful and glorious, incredibly melodious. ;D


Wonderful, let us know what you think, Ilaria! :)

Glad you know it! 
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

madaboutmahler

Mike, just going back to the CBSO Gerontius a few weeks ago, what was the organ situation for you? I was really hoping that they would take advantage of the Barbican organ which was amazing in a performance of the Alpine Symphony I saw a few years back, but they didn't, and the little stage organ they used did not come through too much. This is one of the only things that disappointed me about the concert. Still a beautiful concert which I remember very clearly though! :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

Lisztianwagner

About The Dream of Gerontius, there's a window of the Worcester Cathedral representing it, isn't there?
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." - Gustav Mahler

madaboutmahler

Quote from: Lisztianwagner on April 24, 2012, 01:22:18 PM
About The Dream of Gerontius, there's a window of the Worcester Cathedral representing it, isn't there?

Yes, there is. (if I remember correctly!!!! ;) ) I visited the Cathedral when I went to see Elgar's birthplace. Absolutely beautiful building. I didn't so much like the town centre, which had so much litter around the statue of Elgar, and only one Elgar cd in the massive HMV cd shop... but Elgar's birthplace was absolutely beautiful. I really enjoying seeing it! :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

Lisztianwagner

Quote from: madaboutmahler on April 24, 2012, 01:28:24 PM
Yes, there is. (if I remember correctly!!!! ;) ) I visited the Cathedral when I went to see Elgar's birthplace. Absolutely beautiful building. I didn't so much like the town centre, which had so much litter around the statue of Elgar, and only one Elgar cd in the massive HMV cd shop... but Elgar's birthplace was absolutely beautiful. I really enjoying seeing it! :)

Oh, sure, I can certainly imagine Elgar's birthplace is absolutely enchanting, old country cottages are very nice, and the english countryside is so lovely, a very beautiful landscape!! ;D No surprise that Elgar took so much inspiration from it. :)
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." - Gustav Mahler

madaboutmahler

Quote from: Lisztianwagner on April 24, 2012, 01:49:17 PM
Oh, sure, I can certainly imagine Elgar's birthplace is absolutely enchanting, old country cottages are very nice, and the english countryside is so lovely, a very beautiful landscape!! ;D No surprise that Elgar took so much inspiration from it. :)

It certainly is! :) And Elgar's birthplace is right in the heart of the English countryside, away from the busy, noisy town centre, and overlooking the Malverns. Very beautiful! :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

Elgarian

#1455
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on April 24, 2012, 01:49:17 PM
Oh, sure, I can certainly imagine Elgar's birthplace is absolutely enchanting, old country cottages are very nice, and the english countryside is so lovely, a very beautiful landscape!! ;D No surprise that Elgar took so much inspiration from it. :)

No need to imagine it, Ilaria. Here are some photos of it (it's sort of a second home, for me!)

   








Lisztianwagner

Quote from: Elgarian on April 25, 2012, 06:36:58 AM
No need to imagine it, Ilaria. Here are some photos of it (it's sort of a second home, for me!)

   









Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!! :D I must definitely visit it the next time I'll go to England, along with Cheltenham. ;D
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." - Gustav Mahler

Karl Henning

And Tunbridge Wells, Ilaria! (just kidding)
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

madaboutmahler

Quote from: Elgarian on April 25, 2012, 06:36:58 AM


You can see a picture of me on the same bench as Elgar on facebook, Ilaria! ;)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

Lisztianwagner

Quote from: madaboutmahler on April 25, 2012, 11:07:23 AM
You can see a picture of me on the same bench as Elgar on facebook, Ilaria! ;)

I remember it very well, I've already seen it. ;)

Quote from: karlhenning on April 25, 2012, 07:22:19 AM
And Tunbridge Wells, Ilaria! (just kidding)

Haha, why not, after all isn't Kent widely known as the garden of England? ;D
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." - Gustav Mahler