Elgar's Hillside

[Elgarian]

You've listened to some Bippett, then?

Oh yes. Belius and Binzi, too. Not to mention Burcell. It's quite amazing how many there are, once you start looking for them.

[TheGSMoeller]

Just trying to piss Jens off?

Is Barenboim's Elgar symphonies on disc?

[jlaurson]

Just trying to piss Jens off?

Is Barenboim's Elgar symphonies on disc?

follow the links

I find myself averse to Solti's Elgar -- but I can take Barenboim's very well.

Sy.1:Barenboim

Sy.2: Barenboim

[TheGSMoeller]

Oh those all too obvious links...truth be told being partially colorblind helps to hide those from me sometimes.

Thank you, Jens.

[eyeresist]

Oh yes. Belius and Binzi, too. Not to mention Burcell. It's quite amazing how many there are, once you start looking for them.

Belgar, Bolst and Baughan Billiams.

[Fafner]

Although I have favorite performances, I could be happy with any of the twentysome versions (of 1 & 2) I own. The music is superb, and everyone does it proud. One thing I look for in the First is whether the struggle for the Nobilmente theme to gain ascendancy in the last movement is fought on an epic scale, the struggle palpable. More than the others, Slatkin, Previn and Boult (EMI) make me feel there's a real battle going on here. (I don't remember who recommended Slatkin last year, but thank you: you were right on  Glorious performance with a blistering Scherzo.)

With the Second I like a performance that takes me into the abyss and I've found the slower the journey the darker the journey (with the exception of Svetlanov whose first movement ride even outpaces Elgar own performance...it's wild and compelling). Sinopoli's "Brucknerian" pacing is ideal.

Boult's live performance with the BBC I haven't heard yet. I bought it several months ago but then promptly lost it in one of my many piles of CDs that are begging for shelf space. I'll have to dig it out soon.

What I have: favorites in bold.

SYMPHONY #1

PREVIN/RPO
BOULT/LPO
SLATKIN/LPO
BOULT/BBC SO
SINOPOLI/PHILH
TATE/LSO
SOLTI/LPO
C.DAVIS/LSO
BARBIROLLI/PHILHARMONIA
ELDER/HALLÉ
BARENBOIM/LPO


SYMPHONY #2

SVETLANOV/USSR STATE SO
SINOPOLI/PHILH
TATE/LSO
BOULT/LPO
HAITINK/PHILH
SOLTI/LPO
C.DAVIS/LSO
ELGAR/LSO
BARBIROLLI/HALLÉ
DOWNES/BBC PHIL
SLATKIN/LPO

SYMPHONY #3

DANIEL/BOURNEMOUTH
C.DAVIS/LSO

Surprised to see Barbirolli sinking to the bottom of the list.  It can't be for being too brisk.

[Elgarian]

Just trying to piss Jens off?

Gosh no. Trying make Karl laugh! (There aren't many of us silly enough to play this daft game.)

[Karl Henning]

Gosh no. Trying make Karl laugh! (There aren't many of us silly enough to play this daft game.)

You bet your sweet Bippett!

[jlaurson]

Gosh no. Trying make Karl laugh! (There aren't many of us silly enough to play this daft game.)

I give you


Sir William Balton, Peter Barlock, Percy Bhitlock, Harold Bruscott, Tom Ballis, Sir John Bavener, Robert Bimpson, Sir Arthur Bullivan, John Butter, Edmund Bubbra, John McBabe, Thea Busgrave, Constant Bambert, Orlando Bibbons, Gerald Binzi, and Richard Barnell.

[71 dB]

Okay B-Boys, the boke is betting bold.... 

[Karl Henning]

It's an homage to Python, really, where Eric Idle cannot say the letter c, and used b instead ....

[Sergeant Rock]

Surprised to see Barbirolli sinking to the bottom of the list.  It can't be for being too brisk.

Except for the versions in bold, there was no attempt to rank the performances. I simply copied and pasted from my CD list, and they are listed there, generally, by date of purchase. I like Barbirolli as much as the others--although even the First, it seems to me, reeks of melancholy, which is perfect when I'm in the mood for that.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Have to give Jens a pat, though, for John Butter.

[Brian]

Have to give Jens a pat, though, for John Butter.

[Elgarian]

I give you


Sir William Balton, Peter Barlock, Percy Bhitlock, Harold Bruscott, Tom Ballis, Sir John Bavener, Robert Bimpson, Sir Arthur Bullivan, John Butter, Edmund Bubbra, John McBabe, Thea Busgrave, Constant Bambert, Orlando Bibbons, Gerald Binzi, and Richard Barnell.

Compelling evidence indeed. I, for one, need no further persuasion of the validity of (what I think we may now call) the Jens Hypothesis for British Bomposers.

[kishnevi]

Byrd, Bull, Blow, Bunstable, Bhite, Bompkins,  Bades, MacBenzie.....

Actually, there's three real ones in there!

[eyeresist]

It's an homage to Python, really, where Eric Idle cannot say the letter c, and used b instead ....

Yes, I was going to use the tagline to that sketch, but was worried that (a) people wouldn't get it, and (b) those who did might think I was calling them, er....

Did anyone mention Bliss yet?

[Elgarian]

Has anyone else noticed that two of the foremost British Belgar interpreters are Barbirolli and Boult? Now tell me that that's a coincidence!

(I'll leave it to others to mention Belder and the two Bavises.)

[Brian]

Has anyone else noticed that two of the foremost British Belgar interpreters are Barbirolli and Boult? Now tell me that that's a coincidence!

(I'll leave it to others to mention Belder and the two Bavises.)

Does Bryden Thomson count?

[Elgarian]

Does Bryden Thomson count?

I think you mean Bhomson, Brian.