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Track Listings
| 1. Cello Concerto, Op. 85 - Paul Watkins/BBC Philharmonic Orchestra |
| 2. Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47 |
| 3. Elegy for Strings, Op. 58 |
| 4. Pomp and Circumstance Marches Nos 1 5, Op. 39 |
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Review
The meatiest work here is the brooding Cello Concerto from 1919 – the last major piece Elgar completed. Paul Watkins is a sensitive soloist, and he and Davis clearly have a special rapport, presumably dating back to the years they worked together at the BBC Symphony Orchestra as, respectively, Principal Cellist and Chief Conductor. The melancholic opening bars are imbued with a plaintiveness that permeates the whole performance.
Following the magically hushed orchestral entrance, the fateful tread of the tutti main theme is powerfully portentous. Watkins is brilliantly nimble-fingered in the scampering scherzo, displaying delightfully Mendelssohn-ian charm; his achingly sweet, song-like tone in the soulful Adagio is utterly mesmeric. This is not a heart-on-sleeve account of the concerto, in the manner of the famous Jacqueline du Pré recording with Barbirolli (EMI, 1965); but what it lacks in extrovert drama it makes up for with intensity and considered fidelity to the score.
The BBC Philharmonic strings are richly full-blooded and rhythmically taught in the Introduction and Allegro. There is a wonderful ebb and flow to the lighter passages, which radiate warmth and geniality, but it is let down slightly by the emotional coolness of the big-boned moments. By contrast, the miniature Elegy, also for strings, is entrancingly tender.
Davis has conducted the first Pomp and Circumstance March many a time at the Last Night of the Proms. This latest studio version may be missing the unbridled exuberance of those occasions, but it compensates with remarkable nuance and clarity – every detail of Elgar's orchestration can be heard in all its glory. And Davis gets the famous “Land of Hope and Glory” theme just right: noble and majestic, but with a fluidity that avoids overblown pomposity. With the four other Marches equally impressive, all in all this is an excellent collection.
--Mike Haydock
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Customer Reviews
But like Mr. Roy, above, I also found (to my surprise, to be honest), the Pomp and Circumstance Marches absolutely thrilling. They are perfectly judged, each one treated as a miniature masterpiece, rhythmically alert, and played by the BBC Phil with absolute conviction. The ending of the first march is underpinned by organ and the effect is electrifying. This would really bring the house down at the Proms! Yet all five marches (even the three we don't normally hear so much) are superb.
The Elegy is a short piece, most movingly played, in the same mood as Elgar's great Sospiri. The only reservation, albeit slight, I have about the disc is the Introduction and Allegro which is finely played, but does not have the bite of Barbirolli's great recordings , especially the classic Sinfonia of London account. But it's still a fine performance.
This is the first recording I've heard made in MediaCity, Salford, the BBC Philharmonic's new home, and it is also superb. Plenty of space around the instruments, depth, qualities we don't often hear in modern halls.
An absolutely wonderful disc then, highly recommended.
Paul Watkins and Sir Andrew Davies give a reading that combines tenderness with a real Elgarian sense of 'getting on with it'. (Listen to Elgar's own recordings on a bargain EMI set which set the standard for all those who followed). Although I'm a huge fan of the 'famous recording' there is no doubt that, in recent years, there has been a trend towards treating the piece in a less overtly emotional style.
The other works have real flair and insight and if Sir Andrew can't bring the sheer heft to the Introduction and Allegro that Sir John Barbirolli brought, let's face it, who could?! The strings of the BBC Phil. prove themselves to be inferior to no other Orchestra. (Including the Berlin Phil.!)
The P & C Marches are, for me, the revelation of the disc. As a passionate Elgarian, I've always been slightly embarassed by them but here you want to stand in your sitting room and cheer! The swagger is infectious with everyone obviously enjoying themselves hugely.
On the technical side, it's a pity this disc hasn't been recorded in SACD.
Don't hesitate!
I have just played the Cello Concerto on this well-reviewed CD and found the sound level(s) intolerable. Read more
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