The Internet's Premier Classical Music Source

Related Links

Supporters

Buy/Sell Used Music

Sell Classical Music CDs & more Used CDs: PREX buys Jazz Records, Classical CDs, etc. online or at NJ Store



Site News

What's New for December 2008?

Press Information

Site Search

Affiliates

In association with
Amazon
Amazon UKAmazon GermanyAmazon CanadaAmazon FranceAmazon Japan

ArkivMusic
CD Universe

Sheet Music Plus Featured Sale

Classical Sheet Music



CD Review

Edward Elgar

Dutton Laboratories 7042

The Banner of St. George

  • Salut d'amor
  • Land of Hope and Glory
  • Excerpts from 'The Bavarian Highlands'
  • Excerpts from 'The Kingdom'
  • Severn Suite
  • Imperial March
  • Various songs
Various soloists, orchestras and conductors
Dutton Laboratories/The Elgar Society CDLX7042 78m ADD Recorded 1901-52
Find it at AmazonFind it at Amazon UKFind it at Amazon GermanyFind it at Amazon CanadaFind it at Amazon FranceFind it at Amazon Japan

Dutton and the Elgar Society issue the third volume of recordings that I enjoy calling 'Elgar as they knew him'. This CD encapsulates choral, instrumental, vocal and orchestral music thus providing a wide spectrum of interpreters who graced the stage of concert life in the early days of the last century.

The ever intriguing recording of Salut d'amor with 'G jacobs' from 1901 begins the disc and we follow on with some acoustic recordings of Edna Thornton in a 1908 'Land of Hope and Glory' together with a wonderfully alive 'From the Bavarian Highlands' with Henry Coward's Sheffield Choir. There are further songs sung by Louise Kirkby Lunn, Tudor Davies and an organ arrangement by the legendary Herbert Dawson.

The electric recordings begin our lunch period with Arthur Catterall and Reginald Paul giving splendidly vivid interpretations of the Chanson de nuit and Chanson de matin, Op. 15. Raritie such as Elgar sung in Swedish also find their way onto disc with Jussi Bjorling singing 'Salut d'amor in his own native language.

The great band era of the 30's is recalled by the Foden Motor Work's version of the Severn Suite whilst Charles Kennedy Scott dashes through a hsort excerpt from 'The Banner of St George'.Tea begins with a splendidly involved 'Ave verum corpus by the Westminster Cathedral Choir and is continued by the relaxing Dream Children in genial 1934 recordings by Lawrance Collingwood and the LSO.

And finally to the evening's play with Isobelle Baillie and Sir Malcolm sergeant in 'The sun goeth down' from 'The Kingdom', a swaggering Imperial March from 1946 with Julius Harrison, how different was the Imperial situation from 1911 then, and Heddle Nash's inimitable 'A Sheperd Song' from 1952 ends proceedings in an almost unbearably nostalgic fashion. Like a film of the ghosts of the past, all unfolds before us as in some epic cricket match, an essentially English spirit defines all these splendid recordings of Elgar as these interpreters knew him.

Michael Dutton and the Elgar Society have produced yet another magnificent winner.

Copyright © 2001, Gerald Fenech.

Trumpet

© 1995-2009 Classical Net
Use of text, images, or any other copyrightable material contained in these pages, without the written permission of the copyright holder,
except as specified in the Copyright Notice, is strictly prohibited. All Rights Reserved.