# SS 29.11.14 - Elgar #1



## realdealblues

_*I'm posting this one a little early as it's a holiday weekend here in the states and I won't be online Friday to do it. For those of you here in the USA I wish you a happy Thanksgiving. 
*_
A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934)*

Symphony No. 1 in A-flat major, Op. 55

1. Andante. Nobilmente e semplice
2. Allegro molto
3. Adagio
4. Lento - Allegro

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues

I've heard this one a few times. I haven't spent a lot of time with Elgar for whatever reason. Happy to give this one another listen. As for recording, I guess I'll go with this one:

View attachment 57022


Sir John Barbirolli/Philharmonia Orchestra


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## ptr

No holidays down my lane until Winter Solstice, but I'll play some Elgar none the less!









Sir Mark Elder conducting The Hallé Orchestra

/ptr


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## MagneticGhost

Poor Elgar - far too far down the list IM(notsohumble)O
Why wait till Saturday 

I will seek out a previously unheard performance on Spotify as I've probably got over comfortable with my Barbirolli and Handley














I've chosen this one as the Oratorios in this series are amongst the best out there and Mr ptr has chosen it too, so it must be good.  Hopefully the Symphonies will be of a similar quality


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## GioCar

To be honest, I've never been very keen on Elgar's music...anyway this is a good opportunity for listening to (and maybe reconsidering) a composer who is usually not in my playlist.

I'm thinking to go with an historical recording, from Qobuz










The composer conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.


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## JACE

I'll go with Barbirolli & the Philharmonia:










I listened to this for the first time a few weeks ago. Looking forward to hearing it again.


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## Haydn man

View attachment 57046


I have this version in my collection and I shall be enjoying it, but.........
View attachment 57047


If you only listen to one version then this is what I would recommend and I had this many years ago on LP. Solti at his best getting an impassioned performance from the LPO.
I shall get a CD or download this version soon


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## Alfacharger

I'll go with Sir Adrian.


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## brotagonist

I don't have that one. I wish I could hear the one with the red rose (I love the tea), but I will have to settle for YT (since I'm too lazy right now to check out Naxos Music Library):

Colin Davis/Staatskapelle Dresden


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## Autocrat

Spotify has loads of this symphony - I think I'll go for either Elgar/LSO, Elder/Halle or "Various Artists".


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## Dave Whitmore

I don't think I've listened to any Elgar yet, so I'm looking forward to hearing this one.


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## D Smith

Davis/Philharmonia here.


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## Vaneyes

*Elgar*: Symphony 1, w. Halle O./Judd (rec.1990).


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## Vaneyes

Haydn man said:


> View attachment 57046
> 
> 
> I have this version in my collection and I shall be enjoying it, but.........
> View attachment 57047
> 
> 
> If you only listen to one version then this is what I would recommend and I had this many years ago on LP. Solti at his best getting an impassioned performance from the LPO.
> I shall get a CD or download this version soon


Invalid attachments?


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## csacks

Besides Pompe and Circumstances and the Enigma Variations, I do believe that I have never listened Elgar.
It will be a challenge, but I will look for it in Spotify.
Any recommendation? I see mostly "Sirs" in between the conductors. So suspicious!


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## MagneticGhost

csacks said:


> Besides Pompe and Circumstances and the Enigma Variations, I do believe that I have never listened Elgar.
> It will be a challenge, but I will look for it in Spotify.
> Any recommendation? I see mostly "Sirs" in between the conductors. So suspicious!


:lol: Yes mostly Sirs because mostly English conductors. And anyone in the 'entertainment' industry for long enough over here gets a Knighthood. 
If you are looking for a Non English take on this most English of composers - I've heard good things about Ashkenazy's version but I don't think you'll be able to find it without buying it. 
Good Luck.


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## Cosmos

I'm also not a big Elgar fan. I think I've only listened to the Enigma Variations and was indifferent to it. Though, I also had a similar indifference to Vaughan Williams, who I've grown to enjoy recently. Now's another chance to re-evaluate.

I don't own this symphony so I'll just listen to it off of youtube. Vernon Handley with the London Philharmonic


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## Dave Whitmore

I know this is a Saturday Symphony but I won't be home tomorrow as I'm going to a concert so I'l listen to it now.

Elgar - Symphony No. 1 (Proms 2012) .


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## nightscape

Boult/London Philharmonic


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## Mika

From Spotify : Richard Hickox & BBC National Orchestra of Wales


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## Blancrocher

Could've sworn I had Elgar's symphonies lying around somewhere, but I can't seem to find any. Mark Elder and co., via Spotify.

After a little trial and error, I'll pay Amazon a visit.


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## Haydn man

Sorry hadn't realised my last post had invalid attachments so here are the correct pictures
Previn is good but Solti is better


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## BartokPizz

I love Elgar's cello concerto and the Enigma Variations (who doesn't?) & like the violin concerto and late chamber music quite a bit. The rest of his music hasn't really done much for me yet. I gave the First Symphony a not-very-close listen some time back and promptly forgot it. I appreciate this chance to give it another spin.


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## hpowders

Blancrocher said:


> View attachment 57310
> 
> 
> Could've sworn I had Elgar's symphonies lying around somewhere, but I can't seem to find any. Mark Elder and co., via Spotify.
> 
> After a little trial and error, I'll pay Amazon a visit.


Check the inside of your vacuum cleaner.


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## ArgumentativeOldGit

There are many fine recordings of this glorious symphony, and I particulary like George Hurst's recording with the BBC Philharmonic. I'll give that a listen tonight.


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## AClockworkOrange

nightscape said:


> Boult/London Philharmonic


I'm going to follow nightscape's lead though it will have to be a _Sunday_ Symphony for me.


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## GreenMamba

Put my down in the not-normally-an-Elgar-fan camp, but I'm giving this a shot with *Marriner* and the *Academy of St Martin in the Fields * on Spotify.


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## BartokPizz

EDIT: So after a false start -- I was actually listening to Elgar's Second (Haitink: Philharmonia) I am finally diving in to the First--Sir Colin Davis: LSO.


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## MagneticGhost

BartokPizz said:


> EDIT: So after a false start -- I was actually listening to Elgar's Second (Haitink: Philharmonia) I am finally diving in to the First--Sir Colin Davis: LSO.


I actually prefer No.2 but both are really good.

What did all the Elgar Virgins and Agnostics think then?
I'm hoping for a massive outpouring of Elgarian love here folks.


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## TurnaboutVox

I don't have this on disc (like many here I'm ambivalent about much of Elgar's output). But I have to say, this was good (and comes coupled with a version of 'In the South' which I really do like). On Spotify.

*Elgar

Symphony no 1 in A flat major, Op. 55*
Mark Elder, Hallé Orchestra


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## Mahlerian

MagneticGhost said:


> What did all the Elgar Virgins and Agnostics think then?
> I'm hoping for a massive outpouring of Elgarian love here folks.


I enjoyed the piece a lot more than I remembered. Perhaps it's grown on me since I heard it last.


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## GreenMamba

> What did all the Elgar Virgins and Agnostics think then?
> I'm hoping for a massive outpouring of Elgarian love here folks.


Sorry, but no dice. I'll have to revisit again someday, or maybe something shorter. It's not like this is my first attempt at Elgar, though. It isn't my favorite style of Classical.


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## LancsMan

Thought I should join in on this (if a little late). I'm listening to the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin.







So an archetypal English composition played by an excellent English orchestra but with an American at the helm. This is my only recording of the work. They do OK but I don't think it is a classic account.

I like the symphony well enough, although I prefer the second symphony. I understand Benjamin Britten hated the symphony, possibly because of the Edwardian imperialist feelings it invokes. Britten was hardly an Elgarian but I've heard recordings of him conducting other Elgar works which I think very fine.

For me Elgar is not one of the truly great symphonists, but I do think there is some wonderful music in the symphonies. Hope that's not too much of a contradiction.


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## Dirge

Edward ELGAR: Symphony No. 1 in A-flat major, Op. 55 (1908)
:: Colin Davis/Staatskapelle Dresden [Hänssler Profil, live 1998]
I. 19:32 - II. 7:24 - III. 12:28 - IV. 11:56

I'm a ****-poor excuse for an Elgarian, as I like his music more than I listen to it-except, of course, for the first _Pomp and Circumstance_ march, which I listen to more than I like it. This compelling live performance is the best excuse for me to listen to the First Symphony as much as I like it. Much of its appeal to me is simply that Davis phrases the big tunes to my liking (making Boult/BBC live sound too dry, Barbirolli/Philharmonia too indulgent, Solti/LPO too Solti, and Davis/LSO live too slow and fussy), but beyond that he manages to bring out the melancholy, unease, darkness, turbulence, etc. that lurks beneath the rich Elgarian façade without undermining the work's nobility and grandeur or dampening its underlying spirit of hopefulness-no mean trick. Davis and his Dresdeners also remind you here and there, especially in the Allegro molto second movement, that Elgar was a contemporary of Mahler. All of the work's little variations and minor-key asides/excursions are done "just so" in beautifully judged balance/context, and it doesn't hurt that Staatskapelle Dresden plays like the best English orchestra east of the Channel. The recorded sound is more distant and reverberant than ideal, but balances are excellent and detail is much better than you'd expect from such a glowing (if slightly soft-focused around the edges) atmosphere.

https://play.spotify.com/album/4L7dyXaU1ukwRhXT8mCKu0

[This appears to be the same recording that brotagonist references and provides a YouTube link to in his earlier post.]


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## hpowders

^^That's the performance I ordered last week. Hopefully, I will get it by this Saturday!!


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## scratchgolf

I'm going with Danny B.


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## Richannes Wrahms

I wish he hadn't used all that unnecesary doubbling, makes it sound all turgid in the 'violent' parts. I could say worse. Nevertheless, the structural idea behind this symphony is good. The later violin concerto, with which I think shares some material, is significantly better.


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