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Gardner, like Handley, really has a feel for Elgar's swagger and "snap," much more so than the usual 20th C suspects, Boult, Davis and Barbirolli. But unlike Handley, Gardner also adequately plumbs the depths of the slow mov't, the last few minutes of which really got under my skin. Hauntingly beautiful. The most spectacular fireworks are reserved for the end of the 4th mov't which is just sensational.
Recorded in Walthamstow Assembly Hall.
Follow Ups:
Couldn't find it on QOBUZ but it popped up in the 'new releases' just now.
Why?
I didn't think to search for it using 'Doric String Quartet' and instead I searched using ELGAR and GARDNER.
But and that's the only way it can be found on QOBUZ's search engine.
Yes that search engine can be obtuse. I spent ages a couple of weeks ago trying to find "Espana", the Decca album of Spanish flavoured works conducted by Argenta, further to a discussion here. I can't remember exactly now but it didn't appear using any of obvious searches using the album title or any of the composers or works.
Still Qobuz have promised a new search engine at some point so I guess that we will just have to wait. I see that they are exhibiting at the Munich show next month so maybe I can quiz Qobuz about it then.
Find it on AMAZON first, then use all of the search terms in the Amazon page.
Turns out most of the problems here are the tags that are attached to the music file by the record labels. Not much QOBUZ can do about that if they use only one or two of the tags as search terms.
One thing QOBUZ DOES do is allow the use of the name of the label as a search term. Wish TIDAL did that. I think DEEZER used a trick, which was something like: "Label:CHANDOS" for a search of just a label.
Not much point in following the Amazon search terms on the UK website -:)
Love to hear the explanation for that!
Hard to blame the record label for sending it out with the wrong tags, at least I think not.
Do they batch these in a way that the info gets attached to the wrong CE art?
Elgar's Introduction and Allegro features a solo string quartet along with the large string orchestra. For instance, Barbirolli's famous recording of this work features the Allegri String Quartet. I think that sometimes, the string quartet parts are taken by the first chairs in the string orchestra, so a separate string quartet is not identified. Does this clear up the mystery - or have I failed to understand the question? ;-)
But did you check the artist and composer in the UK Amazon page in PAR's post?
Link below:
Amazon also calls the string quartet " Doric Strong Quartet". I heard them in a radio broadcast yesterday playing Haydn and Bartok. Maybe Amazon was right as their encore consisted of grunts as they bent iron bars coupled with the ripping sound of telephone directories being torn in half. Perhaps I misheard? :-)
Yep. I would suggest this.
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I have to say I like the Boult, Davis (with the SkD on the Profil label) and Barbirolli recordings too (and don't discern any lack of "snap" in them - maybe I'm in for a surprise with Gardner!) - I also like Sinopoli on DG as well as a dark horse on SACD, the Brabbins performance on the Glossa label - even though it's a bit distantly recorded. I heard De Waart and the SF Symphony perform it a couple of times in the 80's, and I thought their first performance was way better than when they returned to the work a couple of years later. (The "magic" had vanished!)
in 1st movt- Elgar's delicate orchestration is worth a linger-but others think it's too deconstructed. I've not heard Sinopoli's Elgar 2nd but Sinopoli's pacing and vivisection gave British critics the vapors. His pacing of the Finale to the Enigma Variations is unforgettable, IMHO and luckily the Philharmonia was up to the challenge and keeps the energy and weight going right to the end.
I've also listened to the famous Solti Elgar 1st a few times but register the same complaints I usually do about the conductor==too fast, too surface sheen, though I get the point about his wanting to shake the dust off Elgar. The composer's own recording is quick!
. . . wanting to return to the tempos as heard on Elgar's own recordings.
About those Sinopoli Elgar recordings: it's almost as if Giulini had gotten his hands on those scores! ;-)
" tempos as heard on Elgar's own recordings"
I always wonder with pre-tape era recordings how much the physical limitation on the maximum recording length of a side affected the choice of tempi.
Having listened to the Gardner today I too find it recommendable (but what do I know?). Very enthusiastic review in this month's Gramophone as well (not that that counts for much around these parts). I think the most important part of that review was recognising that Gardner is developing into an important talent.
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