Edward William Elgar

Sir Adrian Boult (1889–1983), one of the great British conductors of the 20th century, who studied under the legendary Arthur Nikisch in Berlin which make his Brahms interpretations so special.

This fiery 1976 Prom stereo broadcast of Brahms 1 is the only authorised live account available. He recorded the symphony three times in the studio.

The live stereo broadcast of Elgar’s Enigma Variations was sourced from the Royal Albert Hall Centenary Concert on 29 March 1971 and features the alternative organ part played by George Thalben-Ball, one of the most celebrated organists of his time.

The CD is completed by an extract of an interview Boult gave on the occasion of his 85th birthday where he talks about the art of interpretation.

SAMPLE TRACK Brahms Symphony No.1 – 1st movement

A collection of music by great British composers, including Elgar - Land of Hope and Glory, Enigma Variations; Holst – The Planets; Walton – Crown Imperial; Orb & Sceptre and Parry – Jerusalem. Full of highly recognisable themes, this album captures and celebrates the great British spirit.

Released in time for the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Katherine Middleton, which takes place on the 29th April 2011. With street parties up and down the isle and a national bank holiday, the biggest Royal event since the Marriage of Prince Charles to Princess Diana is set to be celebrated in style.

This collection of music from 20th-century ballets features such master conductors of British repertoire as Boult, Previn, Handley and Mackerras – who also, drawing on the works of Sir Arthur Sullivan, wrote Pineapple Poll for John Cranko. Dame Ninette de Valois choreographed the chessboard machinations of Bliss’s Checkmate, here complemented by Elgar’s much-loved Enigma Variations, Walton’s witty Façade, elemental dances from Holst’s opera The Perfect Fool, and colourful pieces by Berners, Lambert and Gordon.

A 5CD set containing titles from the acclaimed EMI British Composers series, based around the music of Sir Edward Elgar and his contemporaries; Sir Charles Villiers Stanford and Sir Hubert Parry.

A 5CD set containing titles from the acclaimed EMI British Composers series, Sir John Barbirolli conducts the orchestral works of Sir Edward Elgar, including the Enigma Variations, Pomp and Circumstance Marches, Symphonies and the legendary recording of the Cello Concerto by Jacqueline du Pré.

Edward Elgar was the first composer to make extensive recordings of his own compositions. HMV (His Master's Voice) recorded much of his music acoustically from 1914 onwards and then began a series of electrical recordings in 1926 that continued until 1933, including his "Enigma Variations," "Falstaff," the first and second symphonies, his cello and violin concertos, all of the "Pomp and Circumstance" marches, and other orchestral works. Part of a 1927 rehearsal of the second symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra was also recorded and later issued.

Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) was England's greatest composer since the death of Henry Purcell in 1695. He was a relatively late developer, with his first major symphonic work, the Enigma Variations (1898-99), being produced when he was already in his forties.

Elgar wrote two very fine symphonies that unerringly captured the zeitgeist of Edwardian England; both are included in this set in superb performances by Bernard Haitink. The first disc ends with two additional Elgar pieces performed by the late lamented Richard Hickox.

The long-awaited and much anticipated recording by Tasmin Little of Elgar’s Violin Concerto will be released this November, 100 years after the work’s first performance. In concert Tasmin Little is closely associated with this concerto, having celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Edward Elgar with performances of it on a major tour to Southeast Asia and Australia in 2007; she has also performed the concerto extensively in London: at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican, and with the Philharmonia Orchestra in the Royal Festival Hall. What makes this recording especially interesting is that she has included the cadenza used in the work’s first recording, made in 1916 with Marie Hall. For that occasion, Elgar, amongst other things, added harps to counter the sonic limitations of the acoustic recording process. For those used to hearing the standard version, also included, the result makes for fascinating listening, and the recording will prove a valuable addition to the Elgar discography. The 1916 version of the cadenza has been tracked separately.

Tasmin Little: ‘I have waited a long time to record the Elgar Concerto, a work that I have been playing for twenty years and one which is so close to my heart. In the inspirational Andrew Davis and the RSNO’s commitment, I found exactly the right partnership for this monumental work.’

The Violin Concerto is complemented by another piece for violin and orchestra, the charming Interlude from The Crown of India, as well as the rarely recorded but imposing Polonia, an inventive and colourful work incorporating much Polish melodic material. This was commissioned by the Polish conductor Emil Młynarski in 1915 and dedicated to Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the pianist-composer and, later, Prime Minister of Poland.

Since coming to prominence as a finalist in the string section of the 1982 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, Tasmin Little has enjoyed an international career, making more than twenty recordings. Highly imaginative in her approach to classical music, she received the 2008 Classic FM / Gramophone Award for Audience Innovation in London for the project ‘The Naked Violin’. Whilst she has made superb recordings of the great popular violin concertos, including those by Bruch, Brahms, and Sibelius, she has made a speciality of recording and performing less familiar repertoire, especially neglected British works. On Chandos, she has released a recording of Finzi’s Violin Concerto to tremendous critical acclaim (CHAN9888).

Sir Andrew Davis is famous for his performances of British music in general, and of the music of Elgar in particular. Last year he had great success with the premiere recording of Elgar’s The Crown of India on Chandos (CHAN10570(2)). Chandos also has a long association with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Over the last thirty years the label, in partnership with the RSNO, has produced a string of award winning CDs, notable among much else for their sound quality. This new CD, recorded in five-channel surround sound, continues that tradition.