Elgar: Enigma Variations / Brahms: Symphony No. 1
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Composer: Edward ElgarComposer: Johannes Brahms
Conductor: Leopold Stokowski
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra
Performer: John Georgiadis
Edition: Music CD
Format: Live
CD Release Date: 2006-11-20
Music Label: Cala
Music reviews of Elgar: Enigma Variations / Brahms: Symphony No. 1
Music Review: Glorious, exhilarating music-making.
Rating: 5 Stars
This cd is a re-issue of two live performances Decca released in the 70's in its famous series "Phase 4". Music lovers really have to thank Cala Records for the enterprise, because this cd is a treasure, and it's a sure recommendation even if you're not a Stokowski fan. Admittedly, I'm an admirer of this great and controversial maestro, but I like to think I'm a "critical" one: for example I never liked his Brahms: it has always sounded too fast, constantly on the verge of collapsing into self-parody. No similar reservations with this splendid 1st ! Sure , the Stokowski features are all present: stormy dynamics, seamless "legato", an overall rich and deep orchestral sound. But here the sheer excitement goes along with a strong architectural grasp, and the result is one of the best 1st I know: it's at once ebullient and perfectly balanced, fiery yet refulgently grand. This is the (unedited!) recording of a famous 1972 Royal Albert Hall concert celebrating Stoki's 90th birthday and the 60th anniversary of activity with the LSO, replicating the same program he gave ...in 1912 ! The sense of occasion is palpable as the orchestra plays splendidly, like many other times during Stokowski's indian summer. The Elgar, too, is an absolute gem, for many reasons. Stokowski played some Elgar (he gave the American premiere of the 2nd symphony, for example) but, for some reason, this is the only Elgar recording he ever made. The circumstances of the recording are notable too, and witness the very special magic of this conductor: the Czech Philharmonic never played the Elgar before, and the rehersal time was very scarce because Stokowski had an accidentduring the trip to Czechoslovakia. And yet the results, as documented by this cd and by the Decca re-issue of the Bach Transcriptions, are striking. The Enigma is up there with the very best: avoiding any excess of sentimentality, Stokowski gives us a performance that is genuinely Elgarian in its ebbs and flows of heartfelt melancholy ( the strings' "swoon" in the Enigma theme is marvelous) and "nobilmente" dignity (the final E.D.U. is majestically swaggering). Also "Nimrod" comes out splendidly and, really, the wonderful, moody diversity of the Enigma Variations really seems to fit Stokowski's mercurial style. Apart from a few, typically "live", ensemble flaws the playing of the great Czech orchestra is glorious, a warm, burnished wall of sound. It's a kind of sound quite different from the one that Elgar usually gets from British orchestras, making this release even more interesting. About the sound, splendidly remastered by Cala, your enjoyment of it depends on your taste: if you just want what the Gramophone reviewers call "a natural concert-hall perspective" you'll have doubts about the super-miked, 20-channel Phase 4 recording technique, that makes you feel surrounded by a colossal orchestra. As for me, I loved every minute! The overall Cala Records presentation ( remastering, booklet etc.) is superb.
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