Elgar steals the limelight

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 10

Elgar steals the limelight

Classical records review

ALLAN FRANCIS

MUSIC OF ENGLAND. Various pieces by Vaughan Williams, Delius, Elgar and Holst. DG RESONANCE CASSETTE 3335 250. Those who saw the Elgar story on television recently will appreciate, how such programmes draw attention to the genius of any musical personality. There is no doubt that the visual magnifies the audible, the story line mingling so closely with the music that one is almost entirely dependent on the other.

In this quietly understated programme it was possible to see real life in Elgar’s music the romantic visions of an Edwardian composer who had anything 1 but an easy life.

Needless to say, it is Elgar who takes the limelight in this current batch of snippets, the “Nimrod” segment from the “Enigma Variations,” the familiar “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 2,” and the delightful “Serenade for Strings in E minor” in its entirety. The rest of the programme is shared between Hoist’s “Jupiter” from “The Planets,” two Delius pieces and the overly familiar “Greensleeves.” Whether one can leap from “Land of Hope and Glory” to the even more warhorsey old English charmer with unflagging relish is a matter of personal taste.

Delius’ “Cuckoo” and “Summer Night on the River” almost seem out of context in 1986, though the restful qualities will be much in demand in the current surge of interest in that type of music. They are certainly far

superior to many that are being passed off as genuine calmers. Several features stand out with this lot thought tape quality, the price and interpretive standards not being the least. I thought I might never hear Boyd Neel again, at least not on anything of the seventies vintage. Here, he is entrusted with the very fine version of Elgar’s “Serenade” and produces an excellently atmospheric account.

Equally proficient is Eugen Jochum, the great Beethoven interpreter, with the “Enigma” snippet. The honours are widely spread. Daniel Barenboim gets the warhorses.

BRAHMS. Symphony No. 1 played by the L.P.O. conducted by Klaus Tennstedt. WORLD RECORDS WI 9804 from EMI.

The curious thing about current issues of standard classics is that one falls into the habit of likening the best of modern conductors to the best of the older men.

Here, for instance, we are faced with Tennstedt who is reputed to sound occasionally like Klemperer for his directness and lack of adornment. One might add that he sounds marginally like Bohm too, for sheer stodginess and slow tempi — fatal with Brahms. We could have a choice of the other major exponent, Bernstein, who sounds something like

Toscanini, or even Giulini who shadows Bruno Walter closely. At this point one might be tempted to wonder why we just do not stick with our favourite among the ancients and let the matter rest there.

Sound quality might prove a problem for nobody wants the . shrillness of those C.B.S. recordings back permanently — or the stodge of the Bohm Brahms at any price. Brahms wrote a lot of music that need not be repeated, but the major works that drifted into patches of ponderous meaninglessness need a sympathetic hand. Bernstein goes too far the other wav with feverish excesses to avoid the problem, so if the listener wants a good, middle-road version, the Giulini obviously is the one to have. Right from the outset he marks the opening passage with a crisp nononsense drum tap, advertising the fact that he

means Business and the rest fits the pattern of Brahms, the great classi-cal-romantic; composer.

Sound quality is excellent on all three versions that have been recorded since 1983. As these are typical of three different styles one can choose which way one personally prefers Brahms; there is nothing radically- wrong with any, but the Giulini, still with imperfections, seems the best buy. GRIEG. Piano Concerto in A minor. MENDELSSOHN. Piano Concerto No. 1 played by Cecile Ousset, piano with the L.S.O. conducted by Neville Marriner. WORLD RECORDS WE9480 from EMI.

Apart from John Ogdon, the “Mendelssohn Concertos” seem to be best served by the women — Cristina Ortiz in the first instance, and now with the liquid, French touch of Cecile Cusset. Both of these performances are first rate, providing the overplayed “Grieg Concerto” with a far more satisfactory partner (or at least different). Moura Lympany is still available with the Grieg but the Ortiz Mendelssohn has gone. Few would be interested in prolonged discussion of the merits of the 20 available versions of the Grieg work, suffice to say that the best can Ke gleaned from say, Katchen, Lipatti or Rubinstein of the oldies and Bishop-Kovacevich, Arrau or Miss Ousset in the new.

The latter is entirely satisfactory from all points of view; it serves as good introduction for newcomers or a welcome back to a tired old friend.