Lovers of English
music must continue to be grateful for the excellent contribution
that Naxos has made to the genre. They have not only produced
new recordings, but have helped resurrect recordings made by
now-defunct record companies - such as the series begun by
Collins Classics. In addition they are now reissuing historical
recordings - on this occasion a disc of Elgar conducting his
own compositions.
None of these recordings
are new to the catalogue and all have already been reproduced
by EMI in their Elgar Edition - which contained the CD transfers
of 78s and was produced in 1992 in co-operation with the Elgar
Society and Foundation. The Elgar Edition, however, was a nine-disc
edition and would presumably only have been bought by dedicated
Elgar enthusiasts. This Naxos disc contains wonderful performances
of the Enigma Variations, Cockaigne Overture and
all five Pomp and Circumstance marches.
Elgar’s recording
of his Enigma Variations was made in the very early
days of electrical recordings in London’s Queen’s Hall with
the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra. What strikes me in this
performance of the Enigma Variations - as, indeed,
on the previous LP and CD reissues of the work - is the combination
of sensitivity
and tremendous panache that Elgar brings to the work. Although
the theme is introduced with great feeling and restraint,
the rest of the performance is direct and straightforward.
The
faster movements, in particular, are taken at lightning speed
and, at times, the orchestra has difficulty in keeping up
with the conductor’s/composer’s requirements. Nimrod achieves
tremendous breadth and dignity whilst sticking exactly to
the time indicated in the score - coming in at just under
three
minutes. Contrast this with some performances, such as Slatkin’s,
which takes over five minutes! Interestingly, although this
transfer is remarkably hiss-free for a recording made in
1926, hiss is rather prominent in the tenth variation, Dorabella.
I notice that the transfers from 78s on the EMI set is also
troubled by hiss on both this and the subsequent variation.
The Cockaigne recording,
which opens the disc, took place nearly seven years after the Enigma
Variations sessions and was recorded in a purpose-built
studio, EMI Abbey Road No. 1 in London. Elgar also benefited
by having the three-year-old BBC Symphony Orchestra, which
had been meticulously trained by Adrian Boult. The difference
is startling. They respond to every nuance and produce a most
satisfying performance of a work that can sometimes sound a
little heavy and lugubrious.
I was glad to see
that the bonus track is devoted to side three of the original
78 version of this work – the famous “accidental” stereo recording!
A comprehensive description of what this means is given in
the excellent notes but – briefly - it was not uncommon during
78 recordings for there to be two master decks on which the
wax impression of the recording was made from the electrical
microphone - presumably to allow for any disaster during the
recording process. Usually a single microphone fed both decks,
but very occasionally two microphones were used and thus a
stereo recording was actually obtained. Some people may not
be convinced that this produces a better sound, but I am. When
one compares the two versions the difference is quite startling
in the overall warmth and spread of the sound. Note to Naxos – it
would be wonderful to have the whole of Elgar’s “accidental” stereo
Cockaigne recording ...!
These Pomp and
Circumstance Marches are earlier recordings, made in 1926,
and are all given lively and spirited performances. Listen
particularly to No 2, which has an urgency and excitement
rarely heard on other recordings. Even Elgar’s later recording fails
to match its verve. There’s also a wonderful breadth to the
legato in No. 1 during the restatement of the main theme. Since
Elgar’s later recording of these marches - along with the Cockaigne on
this disc in 1933 - did not include Nos. 3 and 5, the present
sequence of recordings is the only complete Elgar-conducted
set. Interestingly, although marches 1-4, like the Enigma
Variations, were recorded in Queen’s Hall, No. 5 was
recorded in Kingsway Hall London in 1930 - the week before
its first
performance - just prior to the opening of the new EMI Abbey
Road studio.
Many Elgarians
will already have the Elgar Edition set and will therefore
not need another version of Elgar’s own recordings. However,
the present Naxos disc will, I’m sure, satisfy any music-lover
who is interested in hearing a composer’s interpretation
of his own music.
Em Marshall
BBC Symphony
Orchestra/Elgar 
