Elgar's Hillside

[foxandpeng]

I've no idea!!

And there go the last few tiny grains of Elgar-centred reputation I might have built up over the years. Oh well. Easy come, easy go. Anyone for Rimsky-Korsakov?

Rimsky Redux? There is a certain ring about that...

[71 dB]

I've no idea!!

And there go the last few tiny grains of Elgar-centred reputation I might have built up over the years. Oh well. Easy come, easy go.

Come on man. You haven't built up a "mistakes done in CD production" reputation here, have you? That kind of reputation would have taken a hit, but your Elgar knowledge reputation is still intact, at least in my books. 

[Elgarian Redux]

Come on man. You haven't built up a "mistakes done in CD production" reputation here, have you? That kind of reputation would have taken a hit, but your Elgar knowledge reputation is still intact, at least in my books. 

I was joking (and so was Roasted Swan - I think!!). You and I do tend to not quite understand each other when I do that. Don't worry, all is well. And thank you for the compliment.

[71 dB]

I was joking (and so was Roasted Swan - I think!!). You and I do tend to not quite understand each other when I do that. Don't worry, all is well. And thank you for the compliment.

I knew you must be joking, but I replied as if you were being serious.  I do that every now and then because it is fun (perhaps the reason why you say I don't quite tend to understand when you are joking). So, next time this happens we both hopefully know what's happening.

[Roasted Swan]

I was joking (and so was Roasted Swan - I think!!). You and I do tend to not quite understand each other when I do that. Don't worry, all is well. And thank you for the compliment.

ALWAYS!

[Karl Henning]

Rimsky Redux? There is a certain ring about that...

Or Redux-Korsakov?

[Karl Henning]

TD: The Violin Concerto is on this season at the BSO, and it is a serious temptation. 

[foxandpeng]

Or Redux-Korsakov?

Hehe

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

ATTN: @Elgarian Redux et. al.

Here's a question for you guys: what do you all think of the Bryden Thomson recordings on Chandos? I listened to his recording of the Sea Pictures with Linda Finnie the other day and rather enjoyed his ravishing performance.

[Elgarian Redux]

ATTN: @Elgarian Redux et. al.

Here's a question for you guys: what do you all think of the Bryden Thomson recordings on Chandos? I listened to his recording of the Sea Pictures with Linda Finnie the other day and rather enjoyed his ravishing performance.

I think I'll have to change my name to something like 'Scio Nihil'. I don't have any of Bryden Thomas's Elgar recordings (or of Linda Finnie's for that matter). But it's always reassuring to know that there are more good ones out there.

I do have special memories of Sea Pictures though. Years ago we stayed in a place at Lyme Regis on the very edge of the sea, and I remember lying awake one morning watching Venus rise in the clear eastern sky, bright silvery streaks reflected on the sea below. We used to play Sea Pictures a lot on that trip (Janet Baker). Magnificent.

[Roasted Swan]

ATTN: @Elgarian Redux et. al.

Here's a question for you guys: what do you all think of the Bryden Thomson recordings on Chandos? I listened to his recording of the Sea Pictures with Linda Finnie the other day and rather enjoyed his ravishing performance.

I do have most of those Chandos/Thomson/Elgar recordings but I can't say I have recent/clear memories of any except one.  That one is;

[img=350x350]https://i.discogs.com/mHPr-tS7a6OuiQyA7Gdv4p9ZdY-jk-ySTvqKWw6ZgdA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:592/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM4MDc0/NTEtMTU5NjU3MzI3/OC00MTUxLmpwZWc.jpeg[/img]

which is excellent.  In no small part due to the vintage Chandos engineering made in the Ulster Hall.  For me all of those early Chandos recordings made in various venues before they opted for the extra resonance of church venues remain supreme (Jarvi/SNO, Thomson/Ulster).  The Elgar symphonies along with Thomson's Bax and quite a lot of the "Walton Edition" recordings are all made from the early forays at All Saints Tooting and I think they suffer from a certain kind of synthetic aural glamour that somehow manages to be resonant and harsh at the same time. 

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I think I'll have to change my name to something like 'Scio Nihil'. I don't have any of Bryden Thomas's Elgar recordings (or of Linda Finnie's for that matter). But it's always reassuring to know that there are more good ones out there.

I do have special memories of Sea Pictures though. Years ago we stayed in a place at Lyme Regis on the very edge of the sea, and I remember lying awake one morning watching Venus rise in the clear eastern sky, bright silvery streaks reflected on the sea below. We used to play Sea Pictures a lot on that trip (Janet Baker). Magnificent.

I do have most of those Chandos/Thomson/Elgar recordings but I can't say I have recent/clear memories of any except one.  That one is;

[img=350x350]https://i.discogs.com/mHPr-tS7a6OuiQyA7Gdv4p9ZdY-jk-ySTvqKWw6ZgdA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:592/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM4MDc0/NTEtMTU5NjU3MzI3/OC00MTUxLmpwZWc.jpeg[/img]

which is excellent.  In no small part due to the vintage Chandos engineering made in the Ulster Hall.  For me all of those early Chandos recordings made in various venues before they opted for the extra resonance of church venues remain supreme (Jarvi/SNO, Thomson/Ulster).  The Elgar symphonies along with Thomson's Bax and quite a lot of the "Walton Edition" recordings are all made from the early forays at All Saints Tooting and I think they suffer from a certain kind of synthetic aural glamour that somehow manages to be resonant and harsh at the same time.

Thanks for the feedback, gentlemen. Oh and @Roasted Swan, I definitely agree with you about the audio quality of those earlier Chandos recordings. That Thomson recording you linked is excellent.

[71 dB]

The Wand of Youth Suites + Nursery Suite CD Roasted Swan linked seem to be the only Bryden Thomson Elgar I have/own. It is good imho.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

The Wand of Youth Suites + Nursery Suite CD Roasted Swan linked seem to be the only Bryden Thomson Elgar I have/own. It is good imho.

Absolutely. Lovely recording.

[Elgarian Redux]

Next week we're off to Malvern for yet another few days of wandering about in Elgar Land, and as part of my 'warming up' process, so to speak, I listened today to The Spirit of England. Yes, again, for the zillionth time. Which version? Well, no surprises: these days the only version I listen to is Alexander Gibson with the RSNO and Teresa Cahill as soloist.

I have never, in all these decades, been able to understand just why this recording affects me so much. It has a great deal to do with Teresa Cahill's singing. She seems to get underneath the notes, and inside them, and when an appeal to the stratosphere is called for, the stratosphere is where she takes them, laden with sadness, pain, and hope. What a heartbreaking mixture. Surely this is exactly what Elgar must have hoped for, as an interpretation of his music?

It's old news, but if I had to give away all my CDs but one (Heaven forbid!) this is the one I'd keep. We'll be listening to it in the heart of the Malvern Hills next week.

[Roasted Swan]

Next week we're off to Malvern for yet another few days of wandering about in Elgar Land, and as part of my 'warming up' process, so to speak, I listened today to The Spirit of England. Yes, again, for the zillionth time. Which version? Well, no surprises: these days the only version I listen to is Alexander Gibson with the RSNO and Teresa Cahill as soloist.

I have never, in all these decades, been able to understand just why this recording affects me so much. It has a great deal to do with Teresa Cahill's singing. She seems to get underneath the notes, and inside them, and when an appeal to the stratosphere is called for, the stratosphere is where she takes them, laden with sadness, pain, and hope. What a heartbreaking mixture. Surely this is exactly what Elgar must have hoped for, as an interpretation of his music?

It's old news, but if I had to give away all my CDs but one (Heaven forbid!) this is the one I'd keep. We'll be listening to it in the heart of the Malvern Hills next week.

I agree with everything you say!  I think the particular power of this version is the opulent (apt!) rolling acoustic of Paisley Abbey and Gibson's broad tempo combined with Cahill's fearless attack.  She absolutely smacks out those great Elgarian leaping 7ths and she sings "ardent eyed" (I know its sanctioned but I can't stand the use of a tenor here.  Anyway, its glorious stuff - have a great trip!

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Next week we're off to Malvern for yet another few days of wandering about in Elgar Land, and as part of my 'warming up' process, so to speak, I listened today to The Spirit of England. Yes, again, for the zillionth time. Which version? Well, no surprises: these days the only version I listen to is Alexander Gibson with the RSNO and Teresa Cahill as soloist.

I have never, in all these decades, been able to understand just why this recording affects me so much. It has a great deal to do with Teresa Cahill's singing. She seems to get underneath the notes, and inside them, and when an appeal to the stratosphere is called for, the stratosphere is where she takes them, laden with sadness, pain, and hope. What a heartbreaking mixture. Surely this is exactly what Elgar must have hoped for, as an interpretation of his music?

It's old news, but if I had to give away all my CDs but one (Heaven forbid!) this is the one I'd keep. We'll be listening to it in the heart of the Malvern Hills next week.

I can only nod my head along with your own @Elgarian Redux and @Roasted Swan in that the Cahill/Gibson performance of The Spirit of England is a reference recording as much as Janet Baker/Barbirolli in Sea Pictures is one.

Hope you enjoy your trip to the Malvern Hills, @Elgarian Redux. Hopefully, you will bring back some neat knick knacks and trinkets from your visit.

[Baxcalibur]

ATTN: @Elgarian Redux et. al.

Here's a question for you guys: what do you all think of the Bryden Thomson recordings on Chandos? I listened to his recording of the Sea Pictures with Linda Finnie the other day and rather enjoyed his ravishing performance.

I really like his recording of the 2nd Symphony, so much that I don't even mind the heavy reverberance. I suppose it's the utter commitment and attention to detail, even if it is also very slow.