Elgar's Hillside

[TheGSMoeller]

The Violin Sonata convinced me of Elgar's greatness.

The sonata is worth starting a phase on its own. Thanks, Alberich!

Great minds....

[71 dB]

It seems I'm currently having my Elgar phase...

I'm afraid not too many people in Finland ever have their Elgar phase... 

[Karl Henning]

Great minds....

0:)

[jfdrex]

I've just come across this review of the world premiere of a "new" Elgar work--the "War Symphony," an orchestral transcription by Donald Fraser of Elgar's Piano Quintet, given in Birmingham a few days ago by the English Symphony Orchestra:

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/review-elgars-war-symphony-english-10241432

Did any of our doughty Elgarians here happen to attend this concert?  Any thoughts on the authenticity (or otherwise) of Fraser's achievement?  This is the first I've heard of him.  So far, I've not read any other reviews.

This apparently follows hard on the heels of a new arrangement of the Sea Pictures for choir and string orchestra.

Fraser has been keeping a blog of the current "Elgar Pilgrimage" concert series:  http://donaldfraser.com/blog1.html

[mc ukrneal]

I've just come across this review of the world premiere of a "new" Elgar work--the "War Symphony," an orchestral transcription by Donald Fraser of Elgar's Piano Quintet, given in Birmingham a few days ago by the English Symphony Orchestra:

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/review-elgars-war-symphony-english-10241432

Did any of our doughty Elgarians here happen to attend this concert?  Any thoughts on the authenticity (or otherwise) of Fraser's achievement?  This is the first I've heard of him.  So far, I've not read any other reviews.

This apparently follows hard on the heels of a new arrangement of the Sea Pictures for choir and string orchestra.

Fraser has been keeping a blog of the current "Elgar Pilgrimage" concert series:  http://donaldfraser.com/blog1.html

When you say 'authenticity' what exactly do you mean? It is not the work as Elgar wrote it exactly, but throughout history many great pieces of music (and many lesser so) have been transcribed so that other people could play it. And some transcriptions are more literal than others. I think the better question is 'Does it work?' Personally, I like stuff like this - they usually push you to think about the music differently. I would love to hear it myself, so I hope some enterprising label will give it a go. Thanks for bringing it to our attention!

[71 dB]

Elgar's mighty PQ orchestrated? Wow!

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Elgar's mighty PQ orchestrated? Wow!

Well, if Brahms's Piano quartet was orchestrated...

[Karl Henning]

Well, if Brahms's Piano quartet was orchestrated...

OTOH, Schoenberg is a master orchestrator 

[71 dB]

Well, if Brahms's Piano quartet was orchestrated...

Which one? Op. 25, Op. 26 or Op. 60 ?

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Which one? Op. 25, Op. 26 or Op. 60 ?

Op. 25, by Schoenberg. And I have to agree with Karl about top-notch orchestrating skills of Schoenberg, at least in this regard.

[71 dB]

Op. 25, by Schoenberg. And I have to agree with Karl about top-notch orchestrating skills of Schoenberg, at least in this regard.

I see. I didn't know about that orchestration.

[Mirror Image]

The Violin Sonata convinced me of Elgar's greatness.

Ah yes, is this where you were a page turner at a performance in college or something, Karl? I can't quite remember the story. Anyway, the Violin Sonata is certainly a work I cherish and hold in high regard, but there are so many other Elgar works that just hit me like a ton on of bricks upon first-hearing, while, several others, took awhile for me to appreciate.

[knight66]

Elgar: Sea Pictures, Pomp and Circumstance Marches 1 to 5, Polonia.
Halle Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder, Alice Coote

This is seemingly the last of the survey by Elder of Elgar's mature works. I have several previous releases which I enjoy a great deal; chief amongst them is Gerontius which also involves Coote.

The main draw is likely to be Sea Pictures and here again Coote manages to equal Janet Baker without at all immitating her. She pulled this off in Gerontius where her use of words and phrasing was fresh and involving. Here the first song is startling. She is unusually close to the microphone, as though confiding the words to you alone. The consonants are gently but firmly there. The pace is hypnotic with the orchestra providing a strong oceanic surge under the voice. I read a review that suggested that she was crooning: nonsense. She sings beautifully. This is a very individual take on the songs. I enjoy the obvious engagement with the words and the security of the voice. Another critic suggests she is detached from the text; I simply don't understand that remark. She colours the words with imagination and makes them make sense.

Mark Elder is an underrated conductor. He has a wide repertoire and invariably in the last decade has been praised for his work. But he does not maintain a particularily high profile. I suggest people look out for his work, Mahler 9th, Gotterdammerung, Elgar a womderful La Mer and much more.

He has brought the Halle back into the limelight and playing is now world class. He has an afinity with various kinds of music and explores rare opera which he learns specifically for recording purposes. He is a very skilled opera conductor. His Offenbach is another delight. At the Halle he has shown how good he is in Strauss, Shostakovich, Beethoven and of course the English composers. This disc illustrates how he can walk the line between excitement and bombast. The Pomp and Circumstance Marches can fall the wrong side of that line. He is fairly brisque, but allows space for phrasing. They come across as celebratory. He traverses the Sea Pictures from a wonderfully narcoleptic start through to a triumphant close in an arc which I have not detected from any other conductor.

The Polonia piece is very rare indeed, a miscelleny of Polish tunes woven together in Elgar's unmistakable soundscape. Not great music I think, but pleasureable and placed between the songs and marches.

The disc is on Spotify if people want to try it out. I went searching for more of Elder's music making and a clutch of discs are on the way.

Mike

[Mirror Image]

Thanks for the report, Mike. I'm really looking forward to that recording of Sea Pictures w/ Coote, Elder, and the Halle. I've been really impressed with Elder's traversal of Elgar so far, so this is, for me, an essential acquisition.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I've been really impressed with Elder's traversal of Elgar so far,

Me too, which is why I went to this concert last Saturday -

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Sir Mark Elder, conductor
Vaughan Williams: Overture to The Wasps
Vaughan Williams: Five Variants of "Dives and Lazarus"
Elgar: Symphony No.1

The VW stuff was nice, but of course this big symphony was the highlight. I haven't heard Elder's recording of it, but I can't imagine it's better than what I heard. The CSO brass blasted away at full throttle in the climactic moments, and Elder was very deft with the rubato, highlighting important parts without underlining them too much, giving a nice dramatic ebb and flow. Just a really good performance all around, greeted with an enthusiastic ovation at the end. Now, can we have him back soon to do the other symphony?

[Karl Henning]

It's already eight years ago, but Elder led the BSO in a cracking performance of the Shostakovich Op.43. And the other piece on the program was the Sibelius vn cto, played by Repin, so an outstanding evening.

[amw]

Does anyone rate the Hickox cycle on Chandos? (They haven't yet gotten around to removing recordings pre 2012 from Qobuz, though I'm sure they intend to, so I'm listening to No. 1 and find it quite good—though a bit slow, and I don't know the work well, only familiar with Norrington/Stuttgart. I'm not sure I've ever heard any recording of No. 2, so that one will be next, maybe.)

[Mirror Image]

Does anyone rate the Hickox cycle on Chandos? (They haven't yet gotten around to removing recordings pre 2012 from Qobuz, though I'm sure they intend to, so I'm listening to No. 1 and find it quite good—though a bit slow, and I don't know the work well, only familiar with Norrington/Stuttgart. I'm not sure I've ever heard any recording of No. 2, so that one will be next, maybe.)

Pales in comparison to Boult, Barbirolli, Elder, and A. Davis. You're better of with these IMHO. I never thought Hickox had the right feel for Elgar, but that's just IMHO.

[71 dB]

I never thought Hickox had the right feel for Elgar, but that's just IMHO.

I have not heard Hickox doing the symphonies, but I think he does well with Caractacus, Severn Suite for orchestra, The Black Knight, The Banner of St George, The Music Makers, The Spirit of England,...

[Mirror Image]

I have not heard Hickox doing the symphonies, but I think he does well with Caractacus, Severn Suite for orchestra, The Black Knight, The Banner of St George, The Music Makers, The Spirit of England,...

I've never been wowed by a Hickox Elgar performance and I've all of the works you mentioned above. Caractacus is a work I seldom listen to as I don't think it's that great of a work and the same goes for The Black Knight and The Banner of St. George.