Elgar's Hillside

[knight66]

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!

Sorry to be so tardy in reply: the organ in Birmingham came through firmly. I could see the organist quite well and when he was playing, I was aware of it. But it is nevertheless an integrated and supporting, rather than a star role.

As an aside, I am in chorus for the recording of the 'Spirit of England' that is being suggested. The main reason to get hold of it is that Teresa Cahill tingles the spine with a superbly sung and expressed performance. I wish there was so much more of her on disc. Also, it is a surpassingly beautiful piece of music. We had fun with the other piece which includes a really stirring setting of 'Land of Hope and Glory'.

Mike

[madaboutmahler]

Sorry to be so tardy in reply: the organ in Birmingham came through firmly. I could see the organist quite well and when he was playing, I was aware of it. But it is nevertheless an integrated and supporting, rather than a star role.

As an aside, I am in chorus for the recording of the 'Spirit of England' that is being suggested. The main reason to get hold of it is that Teresa Cahill tingles the spine with a superbly sung and expressed performance. I wish there was so much more of her on disc. Also, it is a surpassingly beautiful piece of music. We had fun with the other piece which includes a really stirring setting of 'Land of Hope and Glory'.

Mike

No problem, thanks for getting back to me. hmmm... so they used the hall organ? Instead of the smaller stage organ? I was hoping for more organ sound to come through in the performance I went to, could barely hear it, or feel any vibrations. A shame, but the performance was still great.

Great! I still need to get hold of that recording.

[Elgarian]

As an aside, I am in chorus for the recording of the 'Spirit of England' that is being suggested. The main reason to get hold of it is that Teresa Cahill tingles the spine with a superbly sung and expressed performance. I wish there was so much more of her on disc. Also, it is a surpassingly beautiful piece of music. We had fun with the other piece which includes a really stirring setting of 'Land of Hope and Glory'.

@Daniel
I've said it so often that I'm completely out of new ways of saying it, but Mike is quite right.* Apart from Mike's presence in the chorus (which must have ensured the disc's success), Teresa Cahill finds such meaning in the words and the music, and achieves such a level of expression and character of singing, that she completely nails what Elgar was about at that period. Unsurpassable in my view.

Daniel, you really, really do need that record.



* Of course Mike is always right, but particularly so in this case.

[71 dB]

As an aside, I am in chorus for the recording of the 'Spirit of England' that is being suggested.

Mike

Cool! 

[madaboutmahler]

@Daniel
I've said it so often that I'm completely out of new ways of saying it, but Mike is quite right.* Apart from Mike's presence in the chorus (which must have ensured the disc's success), Teresa Cahill finds such meaning in the words and the music, and achieves such a level of expression and character of singing, that she completely nails what Elgar was about at that period. Unsurpassable in my view.

Daniel, you really, really do need that record.



* Of course Mike is always right, but particularly so in this case.

Yes... I certainly do. Every time you mention it, I tell myself that I do...

I need more pocket money!

I will get it, as soon as possible!

[eyeresist]

I was just on Amazon comparing samples of the symphonies, and discovered several things:

1. Much as I love Barbirolli's EMI set, I must fish out a couple of others and listen to them again: Tate, Solti (try to make the sound less brilliant), maybe even Mackerras.

2. The sets of Previn and Haitink appear to warrant serious investigation. OTOH, those of Colin Davis and Mark Elder don't.

3. There is a recording of 1 (MP3 only) by Andrew Davis with the Philharmonia on Decca. By timings, this APPEARS to be the same as recently issued with 2 on Signum (I can't get the Signum samples to play). Either way, it seems to be superior to his Teldec/Warner Apex recording (albeit live).

4. I was consistently and pleasantly surprised by samples of the new cycle conducted by Botstein - orchestra perhaps not first rate, but sensitive and committed. Sadly this appears to be download only. Has anyone heard it? (1, 2)

[Karl Henning]

If there are but two symphonies, is it a set? (Not to . . . Grumble . . . or anything . . . .)

Thread duty:

I need to spend some time on the Hillside to-day.

[Elgarian]

If there are but two symphonies, is it a set? (Not to . . . Grumble . . . or anything . . . .)

Thread duty:

I need to spend some time on the Hillside to-day.

Raises a whole new philosophical dimension about what (in CD terms) constitutes a set.

The three Colin Davis LSO recordings (1, 2, 3) look like a set, together on the shelf. [He said, helpfully.]

Curiously (compared with my recent Scheherazade and Planets escapades), I've never been on a formal major quest to try out the whole range of Elgar symphonies out there. In view of my lifelong passion, in particular, for no.1, this may seem strange. But I seem to be content with the 4 or 5 versions that I have, and there's not a dud among 'em, so .....

[Karl Henning]

Well, and when one of them is the composer's own . . . .

[Karl Henning]

High time I revisited The Spirit of England, Op.80

[71 dB]

High time I revisited The Spirit of England, Op.80

That's the spirit! 

[Elgarian]

High time I revisited The Spirit of England, Op.80

Ah yes. It is ALWAYS high time to do that!

[eyeresist]

I listened to Tate and Mackerras in 1. Listening to Tate, whilst appreciating the richly upholstered sound, after a while I realised I was always second-guessing his interpretive gestures - "No, speed up there", "No, give prominence to the solo flute here", "Quieter, for God's sake!" (at the start of the finale).

OTOH, I think I underestimated Mackerras on first hearing. His brisk tempos and light sound made me think he was lightweight, but after Tate, Mackerras sounds so cohesive and thought-through.

This afternoon: the 2nd!


For those who are interested, here are some timings:

Sym 1 -  Solti  |  Tate | Mackerras
I            17.45   20.39   18.52
II             7.08     7.10     7.18
III          12.12   14.16   11.40
IV           11.38   12.22   11.31

Sym 2 -  Solti  |  Tate | Mackerras
I            15.30   19.17   16.13
II           15.30   17.21   15.03
III           7.49     8.28      8.07
IV          12.33   17.23   13.20



EDIT: Perhaps another reason I wasn't initially turned on to the Mackerras - the terrible cover. Look! It's Big Ben and a big Union Jack! Thank God they didn't chuck in a bulldog and a big red bus (probably hidden behind the title panel).

[ASIN]B000XFZSCC[/ASIN]

[Karl Henning]

Ah yes. It is ALWAYS high time to do that!

And I can never get enough of the magnificent Violin Sonata!

[Leo K.]

I'm LOVING what I'm hearing on Barbirolli's Elgar EMI set 


Elgar continues to amaze me. What a guy.

[Elgarian]

And I can never get enough of the magnificent Violin Sonata!

Exactly. Another of those things that it's always high time to listen to.

[Karl Henning]

Exactly. Another of those things that it's always high time to listen to.

I could easily get into a once-a-day habit with the Violin Sonata.

[Elgarian]

I could easily get into a once-a-day habit with the Violin Sonata.

There have been times when I actually did!

[Karl Henning]

Does not surprise me!

[DavidRoss]

I'm LOVING what I'm hearing on Barbirolli's Elgar EMI set 

It's hard to go wrong with Sir John.  I just might spin his Elgar 2 a bit later ... it's been a while!