Elgar's Hillside

[Elgarian]

Thoroughly enjoying both works on this disc, so huge thanks to all!

[asin]B000000A9N[/asin]

Hard to believe, too, that it cost me 96¢ (plus shipping, but still).

It's an odd thing, to be affected by someone else's appreciation of music we love, but yet it happens. Reading your post set the day off to a good start.

I'd have expected you to be a bit doubtful about the Coronation Ode though, Karl. Whenever I recommend the CD, I always want to add 'Make sure you listen to Spirit of England but don't bother with the Coronation Ode' in the first instance. I've always felt it an unfortunate coupling on that disc - it sets up an expectation that the two works represent Elgar operating in 'Pomp & Circumstance' mode; whereas actually they're poles apart. And the Ode (despite its merits) is the sort of thing that puts some folk off Elgar, whereas S of E isn't - well, shouldn't be. Were you conscious of any of those kinds of misgivings yourself, at all?

[karlhenning]

No misgivings at all, Alan. I listened to it, fully prepared to give it space to be itself. Another thing is, that as I used to sing many years in the choir of the Episcopal cathedral here in Boston (for instance), this choral idiom is an old friend . . . really, I've sung pieces of that style almost for as long as I've been singing.

[karlhenning]

Your Amazon.com order of "The Elgar Edition: The Complete Electrical Recordings of Sir Edward Elgar" has shipped!

The game of patience begins! Meanwhile, I turn to Lydia Mordkovitch and the Violin Sonata . . . .

[Vesteralen]

The game of patience begins! Meanwhile, I turn to Lydia Mordkovitch and the Violin Sonata . . . .

I got the same message today about the Elgar Electric recordings.  Unfortunately, since it's shipping from the UK, the earliest it can get here looks like about 9/30.

Fortunately, I'm still only 5 works into my Elgar-listening project (just past Opus 1), so I have plenty of time. 

[karlhenning]

I've no quarrel at all with the Teresa Cahill/Scottish National Orchestra Chorus/SNO/Gibson account of The Spirit of England; but I do think I may prefer "To Women" sung by a tenor.

[karlhenning]

Those sequences in "For the Fallen" — wonderfully cathartic.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Interesting view on "To Women", Karl. In allegory, the spirit of something is often depicted as a female. So I think I like is as it is. If a man was singing it, the Spirit of England would become too 'fleshy' for me...

[karlhenning]

Hm, interesting, in turn, Johan.  I was really thinking registrally, timbrally.  And . . . I've got the idea somehow that doing the piece with only one solo voice (i.e., having the soprano sing "To Women") was something of an economizing deviation from the composer's original intent. (Not that it oughtn't be done, of course; probably that variant carries the composer's approval.)

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

In the score it reads: "set to music for tenor OR soprano solo, chorus and orchestra". So, no 'economizing deviation' there 'from the composer's original intent', I think...

[karlhenning]

Thank you, yes!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thank you, yes!

Notwithstanding my correctness, the fact remains: a tenor could sing the whole of it. Would that sound all right to your ears? Or only in the case of "To Women"?

[karlhenning]

Nothwithstanding my correctness, the fact remains: a tenor could sing the whole of it. Would that sound all right to your ears? Or only in the case of "To Women"?

I've not formed an opinion there, Johan . . . was really just observing a difference between the two recordings I've now heard.

[Elgarian]

but I do think I may prefer "To Women" sung by a tenor.

Oh!

Oh gosh.

Oh Karl .....

Each to his own, of course, but .....

Oh gosh.

Well, alright then. But ....

(fades away....)

[karlhenning]

Well, there I've gone and done it . . . .

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

 

[Elgarian]

I know one or two people have one of these on order, partly perhaps as a result of my expressed enthusiasm for it. So I was reassured to read the glowing review in the new Gramophone, which echoes the praise bestowed upon it by BBC Music Mag recently. BBC awarded it their 'Record of the Month' title; Gramophone has distinguished it as 'Editor's Choice' and sing its praises as an exceptional performance in their review.

None of this makes them, or me, right of course! But this information might reassure those who are waiting for their copy to arrive ....

[Elgarian]

Well, there I've gone and done it . . . .

No, no, I applaud the exercising of your right to choose, my dear fellow. Really, I do.

It's just that ...

Well, it's like this ...

You see ...

Could somebody pass me a chair? I feel a bit weak....

[karlhenning]

Well, I shall try to redeem myself a bit with aid of this 'un:

[asin]B00004RC80[/asin]

[madaboutmahler]

Well, I shall try to redeem myself a bit with aid of this 'un:

[asin]B00004RC80[/asin]

Let us know what you think Karl! I love that symphony, even though it sounds very un-Elgarian in some places....

Daniel

[karlhenning]

Let us know what you think Karl! I love that symphony, even though it sounds very un-Elgarian in some places....

I'm alive to that necessity . . . the legend "Elaborated by Anthony Payne" is well considered.