Elgar: Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55 & Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63 (Remastered) London Philharmonic Orchestra & Sir Adrian Boult

• Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934): Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55:
• 1 Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55: I. Andante. Nobilmente e semplice 18:28
• 2 Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55: II. Allegro molto 07:14
• 3 Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55: III. Adagio 10:27
• 4 Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55: IV. Lento - Allegro 12:24
• Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63:
• 5 Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63: I. Allegro vivace e nobilmente 16:31
• 6 Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63: II. Larghetto 13:17
• 7 Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63: III. Rondo 08:26
• 8 Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63: IV. Moderato e maestoso 12:58
• Total Runtime 01:39:45

Info for Elgar: Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55 & Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63 (Remastered)

Sir Adrian Boult conducts with plenty of vim and vigour, the Elgarian grand sweep is present and correct and Boult's grasp of the symphonies' architecture never falters. Boult's Lyrita readings are more dynamically expressive than his EMI recordings in that there is more intensity and a greater sense of urgency - dynamic thrust! Boult takes great care over moulding and shaping phrases, the music's ebb and flow captivates the listener and the reflective moments - the First Symphony's Larghetto is sublime - are incredibly moving - full of Brahmsian warmth - as Boult generates a sense of nostalgia and loss - loss of Empire... the Setting Sun... lost love, lost youth, loss of innocence? Boult first conducted Elgar's Second Symphony in 1920... this truly is a "Passionate pilgrimage of a soul." under Boult's baton. Of course, this is Elgar and there is grandeur, nobility and a sense of pageantry with great rhythmic drive and forward momentum delivered with thrilling force by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

"In 1968, when Sir Adrian Boult recorded the two Elgar Symphonies for Lyrita, he wrote an open letter to Gramophone, couched diplomatically but reflecting his fury that at the sessions his recording manager had forced him on technical grounds to have all the violins on the left instead of his usual habit of dividing them between the two sections. That said, and 40 years on, the comparisons with Boult's other recordings of the Elgar symphonies demonstrate very clearly how fine they are, arguably the finest versions he ever recorded. Compared with the EMI versions recorded less than five years later, they are tauter, the ensemble noticeably crisper. The recording is brighter and clearer in this transfer. The difference is particularly marked in No 2 which, as Elgar said, was a work which Boult was the first conductor to make a success after the disappointing reception given at its premiere. The comparison is closer with the mono recording of No 2, which Boult recorded with the BBC SO in 1945, a superb performance but which is still marginally outshone by the Lyrita version." (Gramophone Classical Music Guide)

"…40 years on the comparisons with Boult's other recordings of the Elgar symphonies demonstrate very clearly how fine they are, arguably the finest versions he ever recorded." (Gramophone Magazine)

London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Adrian Boult, conductor

Digitally remastered

Sir Adrian Boult
(1889-1983) spoke these words in a broadcast talk in February 1947. As a performer he exemplified the supreme professional. With a baton technique second to none, Boult's greatest achievement was the formation of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1930 and its subsequent development into a world-class ensemble by the end of that decade. The sheer range of music played during his time with the BBC remains extraordinary, including many world and British premieres. Unceremoniously dumped by the BBC at the mandatory retiring age of 60, Sir Adrian then worked with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1950s. For the last 30 years of his life he served as a guest conductor, except for a single year in Birmingham. Boult was knighted in 1937 and made a Companion of Honour in 1969. He retired in 1979.

In musical and general education the conductor must be unusually well equipped. He must have a great deal of musical knowledge; and I don't just mean of orchestral scores. He must also have a working knowledge of all instruments with which he is to come in contact, including the human voice. (Sir Adrian Boult)

Booklet for Elgar: Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55 & Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63 (Remastered)