Elgar's Hillside

[Elgarian]

Elgar: Enigma Variations        London SO/Colin Davis      (1965)

I really like this version! A performance one grows into with its richness! I had not listened too much to the Enigma Variations before this year, but with each exposure I grow fonder of this work. I have not spent any time reading about the background of the "enigma" nor the associations to the different variations. However, the work does not need its "history" to stand on its own feet. Like many other works by Elgar I find the intrinsic complexity and the reoccurring theme to build a very attractive soundscape. It is becoming (and growing into) an individual in my ears with its own complex psyche (if that makes any sense at all?).  Davis and the LSO forces definitely bring luminescence to the Variations in this recording!

PS! I love the photograph on the cover!

Reading your post reminded me of my discovery a few years ago of Monteux's 1959 Enigma which, after a lifetime of listening to lots of Enigmas, blew my head off - see here:

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,3503.msg666345.html#msg666345

Incidentally, I am much like you in finding all the business of trying to 'solve' the 'puzzle' not particularly interesting or relevant. On the other hand I do find it enriches the listening experience to know a bit about the various friends 'pictured within'.

[Elgarian]

Several thousand miles away, it helps to better picture (and understand) the man and his music to see the places he actually lived and worked.  I, for one, would be interested in any others you may have and are willing to share.

I've been looking through my Elgar/Malvern photos gathered over the years and have pulled a few out to post here. I hope I haven't posted these before, but there may be the odd repetition among them. These were taken during various walks among the Malvern Hills on paths that Elgar would certainly have walked. The changes in light are very striking, and the landscape is constantly shifting its mood - so one is tempted to go on and on taking photographs as the cloud patterns change.

Two shots of the British Camp, on the Herefordshire Beacon:






A very typical example of the far distant views one gets from the hills:




From south of the British Camp, looking north to the main range of hills:

[Elgarian]

A shift of location, now, to the area around the Worcester Beacon in the northern part of the range.

Approaching the top of the Worcester Beacon, from the west:




The Worcester Beacon (I don't know who the people were):




Looking south from the Worcester Beacon towards the British Camp.
You can see the ringed ridges of the Camp around the Herefordshire Beacon in the far distance:

[revdrdave]

I'm continuing my traversal of the EMI set of Elgar's electrical recordings, going back to disc 1 which contains the First Symphony and Falstaff.

My reaction to Elgar's performance of his First is very different from my reaction to his Second--it isn't working for me. Initially I thought it might be the recording quality itself which, to my ears, is nowhere near as good as that for the Second (although the Second was actually recorded three years earlier--1927--than the First...also, too, in a different location, Queen's Hall as opposed to Kingsway). I considered, too, that it might be the music itself--at this point, at any rate, I just happen to prefer the Second to the First. But then I compared Elgar's recording movement-to-movement with Barbirolli's and I knew immediately it was neither a function of recording or music but of Elgar's interpretation. Partly, I think, it's tempo. Elgar is consistently faster than Barbirolli (four minutes so in the first movement alone). But whereas Elgar's faster tempos in the Second didn't bother me, here they do. Barbirolli allows the music to breathe in ways Elgar doesn't, which really pays off in the slow movement where there is a poignancy and tenderness with Barbirolli simply not there with Elgar. Indeed, Elgar sounds entirely too buttoned-up, almost as if he's afraid to really let the gorgeous melodies he's written sing for fear they'll sound maudlin (they don't). I'm not convinced this is entirely a matter of interpretation, either. I was much more aware in this performance of the difference in Elgar's abilities as a conductor vis-a-vis Barbirolli. Throughout, Barbirolli is much more adroit at shaping and moulding phrases. He also negotiates the rather treacherous rhythms when the opening theme returns in the finale much better than does Elgar: in Barbirolli's hands, it sings triumphantly; in Elgar's it sounds disjointed and out-of-sync. It also needs to be said that Barbirolli's Philharmonia just plays better than Elgar's LSO.

Falstaff continues, for me, to be a tough nut to crack. I was hoping that listening to Elgar himself conduct it would help me get inside the music...but no. I need to continue to listen, though, and give this piece a chance. 

I feel incredibly presumptuous criticizing Elgar's performances... Who am I to be judging him and daring suggest how his music should go? Still, that's part of the dynamic, isn't it, and the mark of truly great music that it doesn't just work when performed one way, even if that one way happens to be the composer's!   

[revdrdave]

Incidentally, I am much like you in finding all the business of trying to 'solve' the 'puzzle' not particularly interesting or relevant. On the other hand I do find it enriches the listening experience to know a bit about the various friends 'pictured within'.

Indeed. Learning "a bit about the various friends 'pictured within'" was, for me, the great gift of Dora Powell's book. Having read her description (and seen the photos) of those depicted has opened new areas in my understanding (and enjoyment) of the Variations.

[revdrdave]

A shift of location, now, to the area around the Worcester Beacon in the northern part of the range.

Approaching the top of the Worcester Beacon, from the west:




The Worcester Beacon (I don't know who the people were):




Looking south from the Worcester Beacon towards the British Camp.
You can see the ringed ridges of the Camp around the Herefordshire Beacon in the far distance:

These are really glorious, Alan--thank you so much for taking the time to post them! Do you have any sense how much the landscape has changed since Elgar's time?

[Sergeant Rock]

A shift of location, now, to the area around the Worcester Beacon in the northern part of the range.

Approaching the top of the Worcester Beacon, from the west:

Magnificent shot. This belongs in the Photography thread.

Sarge

[Elgarian]

Magnificent shot. This belongs in the Photography thread.

Sarge

I didn't know there WAS a photography thread, Sarge! Glad you like it.

[Elgarian]

Falstaff continues, for me, to be a tough nut to crack. I was hoping that listening to Elgar himself conduct it would help me get inside the music...but no. I need to continue to listen, though, and give this piece a chance.

In all these years, I've never cracked it myself. I know of its reputation, and I'm quite sure that the problem lies in some kind of musical deafness on my part, but I just can't stay interested in it, somehow. Perhaps it's because I'm not very interested in Falstaff, either? Just can't say.

I feel incredibly presumptuous criticizing Elgar's performances... Who am I to be judging him and daring suggest how his music should go? Still, that's part of the dynamic, isn't it, and the mark of truly great music that it doesn't just work when performed one way, even if that one way happens to be the composer's!

I'm sure he and the orchestra had their off days. On the whole, though, I feel increasingly reluctant to criticise performances that (for whatever reason) I don't feel quite hit the mark. Usually I think it's not necessarily because of a defect in the performance, but more likely a problem created by some particular expectation of my own which is not being met. For example: I noticed recently in the 'Planets' thread that great praise has been heaped upon Dutoit's recording - one of the very few that, a couple of years ago when I was comparing recordings, seemed to fall far, far short of what I wanted. It's obvious from the comments made about it, though, that it has all sorts of qualities that I must have been oblivious or insensitive to - so any adverse judgement I might have reached about it would clearly have been more a statement about me and my preferences than about the quality of the performance. On the whole, although mostly I think I know what I like, and that my favourable perceptions are trustworthy, I don't trust my judgement when I encounter performances that I feel are lacking in some way.

[Elgarian]

Do you have any sense how much the landscape has changed since Elgar's time?

Well the benches wouldn't have been there, I suppose, and the paths not so well-laid (or well-worn) as they are now, and some of the restoration of the British Camp would be missing ... but basically, we're looking pretty much at the landscape Elgar saw, I think.

[Hiker]

On an Overgrown Path has posted a review of a new CD that includes a performance of Elgar's String Quartet arranged for strings by David Matthews.

[Karl Henning]

Beautiful photos, Alan, thank you!

[Elgarian]

On an Overgrown Path has posted a review of a new CD that includes a performance of Elgar's String Quartet arranged for strings by David Matthews.

Have you found anywhere offering audio samples? There's a sample of the Arnold at the Somm website, but nowhere does it seem possible to hear a clip or two of the Elgar.

Not sure what I think about the enterprise really. If Elgar had wanted more instruments, wouldn't he have written something other than a quartet? On the other hand, I admit to being curious!

[Elgarian]

Beautiful photos, Alan, thank you!

Time to be upfront. My technique is to take 1 million photos at random and then spend ten years selecting half a dozen.

[Hiker]

Have you found anywhere offering audio samples? There's a sample of the Arnold at the Somm website, but nowhere does it seem possible to hear a clip or two of the Elgar.

Not sure what I think about the enterprise really. If Elgar had wanted more instruments, wouldn't he have written something other than a quartet? On the other hand, I admit to being curious!

I've drawn a blank on Spotify, YouTube, Presto Classical and elsewhere. Perhaps this is a subtle advertising ploy to pique our curiosity...

[Moonfish]

Elgar:
Violin Sonata                Bean/Parkhouse
Violin Concerto            Bean/Royal Liverpool PO/Groves


I am very fond of the last two movements of the sonata. The first movement is a bit jarring in my ears although real life tends to be in that realm at times (a good reminder). This is indeed a lovely rendition of the concerto as Bean plays with both brilliance and passion. I still tend to gravitate towards Hahn's performance for some reason!

[André]

Beautiful shots, magnificent landscapes. Rural Britain is still the most beautiful place in the Northern Hemisphere.

Re: Falstaff: have loved it ever since the mid-seventies when I purchased the Boult LPO lp (cum Sanguine Fan, EMI). I love the rambunctiousness and avuncular gait of the initial theme. It all derives from there. Falstaff's debonair and effronté character are perfectly captured. From there on, it's a matter of Elgar the Variationer picturing the episodes à la Don Quixote with his inimitable flair.

[Mirror Image]

Elgar:
Violin Sonata                Bean/Parkhouse
Violin Concerto            Bean/Royal Liverpool PO/Groves


I am very fond of the last two movements of the sonata. The first movement is a bit jarring in my ears although real life tends to be in that realm at times (a good reminder). This is indeed a lovely rendition of the concerto as Bean plays with both brilliance and passion. I still tend to gravitate towards Hahn's performance for some reason!

But have you heard Tasmin Little's performance yet of the Violin Concerto? That's the million dollar question. I like Hahn's performance, but I can't listen to that recording thanks in large part to Sir Grunts-a-lot.

[Moonfish]

But have you heard Tasmin Little's performance yet of the Violin Concerto? That's the million dollar question. I like Hahn's performance, but I can't listen to that recording thanks in large part to Sir Grunts-a-lot.

Nope! I haven't heard Little's performance yet.    So many performances to listen to....  0:)
I like how Hahn is playing as well, but the orchestral support could have been better. Regardless, sometimes (not always) I am able to filter out the surroundings and just focus on the solo part. 

[Moonfish]

.

BBC 3's "Building a Library" recently [March 28, 2015] did an entry on Elgar's Symphony No 2.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05ns69z

Interestingly, Richard Morrison picked Barenboim's performance with the Staatskapelle Berlin  . I have never heard this recording! Any comments on Morrison's choice?

Reviews in the Guardian and the BBC Music Magazine.

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