What is your favorite recording of the Elgar "Enigma Variations"?

I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult

What is your favorite?

pianomaven

2011-12-08 15:01:44 UTC

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Oh, Eugene Ormandy. By a mile!!!

TD

David Royko

2011-12-08 15:20:22 UTC

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Solti/Chicago -- the London/Decca recording, and the live broadcast I
taped off the air back in 1979 and have since released into the wilds
of the 'net. Solti's (both the LP and the broadcast cassette) was my
imprint version, having heard him and the CSO do it in 1979. I still
love it.

I remember being intrigued to hear the work in the first place after
reading an interview with Solti. He said something like, "When I die,
I want to be buried with the scores of Beethoven's 9th Symphony in one
hand and Elgar's Enigma Variations in the other." At the time, in my
late 'teens, I was OBSESSED with Beethoven and nothing more than the
9th, and I was a fan of the CSO, my hometown orchestra, and Solti, so
I figured I should get to know this mysterious-sounding "Enigma
Variations."

Dave Royko
http://www.davidroyko.com is Dave Royko's site for info about:
The book, Royko In Love: Mike's Letters to Carol (UofCPress);
The book, Voices of Children of Divorce (St. Martin's Press);
Music reviews & features (Chgo Trib, etc.); Ben stories (Autism);
CSO "From The Archives" index; Music Ramblings; and plenty of Etc.

Polluter Politika

2011-12-08 15:25:28 UTC

Post by David Royko

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Solti/Chicago -- the London/Decca recording, and the live broadcast I
taped off the air back in 1979 and have since released into the wilds
of the 'net. Solti's (both the LP and the broadcast cassette) was my
imprint version, having heard him and the CSO do it in 1979. I still
love it.
I remember being intrigued to hear the work in the first place after
reading an interview with Solti. He said something like, "When I die,
I want to be buried with the scores of Beethoven's 9th Symphony in one
hand and Elgar's Enigma Variations in the other." At the time, in my
late 'teens, I was OBSESSED with Beethoven and nothing more than the
9th, and I was a fan of the CSO, my hometown orchestra, and Solti, so
I figured I should get to know this mysterious-sounding "Enigma
Variations."
The book, Royko In Love: Mike's Letters to Carol (UofCPress);
The book, Voices of Children of Divorce (St. Martin's Press);
Music reviews & features (Chgo Trib, etc.); Ben stories (Autism);
CSO "From The Archives" index; Music Ramblings; and plenty of Etc.

Tank you for this posing

Heck51

2011-12-08 22:03:08 UTC

Post by David Royko
Solti/Chicago -- the London/Decca recording,

Yes, same here, tho the Monteux/LSO is really excellent as well.

Frank Berger

2011-12-08 15:29:02 UTC

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

So many good ones. The one that springs to mind is Stokowski's 1972 Decca
recording with the Czech PO. Was available in the Decca Original Masters
box and indicidually on Cala at one time or another. Both are available used
on Amazon.

Matthew B. Tepper

2011-12-08 15:38:48 UTC

Polluter Politika <***@gmail.com> appears to have caused the
following letters to be typed in news:339e6251-f81f-4158-97a0-

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Monteux/LSO
Boult 1970
Elgar 1926
Toscanini/BBCSO
Stokowski/CzPO
Mehta/LAPO

--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
Read about "Proty" here: http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/proty.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of my employers

Abbeddrose Bierce

2011-12-08 17:20:18 UTC

On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece

Abbedd

Polluter Politika

2011-12-08 17:29:29 UTC

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece
Abbedd

horrible sound

phlogiston

2011-12-08 17:35:39 UTC

Jochum LPO -spacious almost Brucknerian "Nimrod"
Andrew Davis and the New Philharmonia did a good recording, including
the organ part in the finale, which adds an extra dimension.

Best wishes,
P

MSW

2011-12-08 20:39:42 UTC

Post by phlogiston
Jochum LPO -spacious almost Brucknerian "Nimrod"
Andrew Davis and the New Philharmonia did a good recording, including
the organ part in the finale, which adds an extra dimension.

I like Davis's BBCSO disc a lot, but my top three would likely be
Monteux, Mehta and Barbirolli's nixa one.

Nils-Eivind Naas

2011-12-10 21:20:25 UTC

Post by phlogiston
Jochum LPO -spacious almost Brucknerian "Nimrod"

The DG recording was with the LSO, I believe.
If there is an LPO recording, I have not seen it.

I agree with your recommendation.

--
nen

Abbeddrose Bierce

2011-12-08 18:58:06 UTC

On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 09:29:29 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece
Abbedd

horrible sound

Not in MY remastering

Abbedd

Gerard

2011-12-08 20:11:52 UTC

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 09:29:29 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece
Abbedd

horrible sound

Not in MY remastering

More than horrible sound.

Abbeddrose Bierce

2011-12-08 20:31:33 UTC

On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 21:11:52 +0100, "Gerard"

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 09:29:29 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece
Abbedd

horrible sound

Not in MY remastering

More than horrible sound.

How can you say that when you have never heard it?

Abbedd

Gerard

2011-12-08 20:37:39 UTC

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 21:11:52 +0100, "Gerard"

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 09:29:29 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece
Abbedd

horrible sound

Not in MY remastering

More than horrible sound.

How can you say that when you have never heard it?
Abbedd

Why not?

Abbeddrose Bierce

2011-12-08 21:35:16 UTC

On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 21:37:39 +0100, "Gerard"

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 21:11:52 +0100, "Gerard"

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 09:29:29 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece
Abbedd

horrible sound

Not in MY remastering

More than horrible sound.

How can you say that when you have never heard it?
Abbedd

Why not?

I guess you ARE that stupid

Abbedd

Gerard

2011-12-08 21:37:18 UTC

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 21:37:39 +0100, "Gerard"

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 21:11:52 +0100, "Gerard"

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 09:29:29 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

On Dec 8, 12:20 pm, Abbeddrose Bierce

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece
Abbedd

horrible sound

Not in MY remastering

More than horrible sound.

How can you say that when you have never heard it?
Abbedd

Why not?

I guess you ARE that stupid
Abbedd

Stupid to listen to your "remastering"?

2011-12-08 23:12:56 UTC

Post by Gerard
Stupid to listen to your "remastering"?

No, stupid to respond to him.

Ever.

Oscar

2011-12-08 23:41:45 UTC

The worst is easily Norrington's recent release with Stuttgart RSO
http://tiny.cc/picrt I bought it in July for $6...in the used bin, of
course.

M forever

2011-12-09 02:07:25 UTC

The worst is easily Norrington's recent release with Stuttgart RSOhttp://tiny.cc/picrt I bought it in July for $6...in the used bin, of
course.

Thanks for the recommendation. I just ordered it.

herman

2011-12-08 20:40:24 UTC

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
Not in MY remastering
Abbedd

you don't do remasters, since you have no access to the mastertapes.

Abbeddrose Bierce

2011-12-08 21:37:14 UTC

Post by herman

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
Not in MY remastering
Abbedd

you don't do remasters, since you have no access to the mastertapes.

Why would somebody that stupid respond with such a stupid statement

You were caught being stupid yesterday. Now it is two days in a row.

What should we expect tomorrow?

Abbedd

M forever

2011-12-08 22:30:22 UTC

Post by herman

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
Not in MY remastering
Abbedd

you don't do remasters, since you have no access to the mastertapes.

Why would somebody that stupid respond with such a stupid statement
You were caught being stupid yesterday. Now it is two days in a row.
What should we expect tomorrow?
Abbedd

You have been caught being stupid every time you posted something over
years here, and you have been caught being completely incompetent
every time you post one of your "remasterings" here, again for many
years now.
So it is pretty safe to say that any of your "remasterings" sound like
crap without listening to it. You have proven so many times that you
have no clue what you are doing.

D***@aol.com

2011-12-08 22:13:45 UTC

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece
Abbedd

horrible sound

The RCA Victor NBC SO recording? It has very good sound, better than
Victor gave Toscanini at other times. To what version have you
listened? Or do you mean the much earlier BBC SO performance?

Don Tait

Polluter Politika

2011-12-08 23:45:08 UTC

Post by Abbeddrose Bierce
On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:54:47 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Toscanini owns this piece
Abbedd

horrible sound

I agree of course but I was dealing with Abbedd which is a stupid
name. the name alone is enough to gt one worked up even if he posts a
kind word or two

Abbeddrose Bierce

2011-12-09 00:11:57 UTC

On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 15:45:08 -0800 (PST), Polluter Politika

Post by Polluter Politika
I agree of course but I was dealing with Abbedd which is a stupid
name. the name alone is enough to gt one worked up even if he posts a
kind word or two

Please get help

Abbedd

pgaron

2011-12-08 15:56:29 UTC

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Lenny/BBCSO - eccentric though it may be...

pgaron

T. Esteban Ayala

2011-12-08 17:59:02 UTC

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

5.) London Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult (EMI; 1970)
4.) London Symphony Orchestra/Pierre Monteux (Decca)
3.) London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Edward Elgar (Naxos, EMI; 1926)
2.) Halle Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli (Dutton, 1956?)
1.) Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/John Eliot Gardiner (DG)

M forever

2011-12-08 18:11:33 UTC

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Gardiner?

T. Esteban Ayala

2011-12-08 18:23:28 UTC

Post by M forever

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Gardiner?

Yeah. I bought it on a whim in 2002, even though I was by no means an
Elgar fan then (bore me to tears actually). But I found it used at a
very reasonable price and decided to try it. I was bowled over--it was
superb; made me a convert to Elgar's music right there and then. Just
hearing that luscious, plump VPO sound was enough for me. Even today I
find myself liking that recording best.

Other recordings I should've included in my lists are BBC Symphony
Orchestra/Arturo Toscanini and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Leopold
Stokowski.

Matthew B. Tepper

2011-12-08 20:59:14 UTC

"T. Esteban Ayala" <***@gmail.com> appears to have caused the
following letters to be typed in news:7092401a-31b3-48a2-8606-04ed85e7a025

Post by M forever

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Gardiner?

Wishlisted! Thanks.

Post by T. Esteban Ayala
Other recordings I should've included in my lists are BBC Symphony
Orchestra/Arturo Toscanini and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Leopold
Stokowski.

--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!!
Read about "Proty" here: http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/proty.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of my employers.

M forever

2011-12-09 02:32:22 UTC

Post by M forever

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Gardiner?

Interesting. I, too, enjoy the rich and deep sound of the orchestra in
this recording, but at the same time also the enormous refinedness and
detailedness of the playing which brings out a lot of the very fine
detail in the score.
There is also a recording with the WP and Solti which I think is very
good. Do you know it? If you know his CSO recording in which he and
the orchestra, as usual hack and slash and blare through the piece,
that may be hard to picture, but his highly energetic, sometimes
frenetic conducting, when tempered by an orchestra with a more
horizontal and sustained playing style could actually lead to quite
impressive results.

Post by T. Esteban Ayala
Other recordings I should've included in my lists are BBC Symphony
Orchestra/Arturo Toscanini and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Leopold
Stokowski.

D***@aol.com

2011-12-08 22:26:01 UTC

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

These are all great versions. It's nice to see Elgar's own included.
And others included Jochum's, which is a superb version indeed. Solti
also did it magnificently, as David Royko posted.

I'd add Beecham's recording with the RPO. It's very personal as
always with him, but unforgettable.

Don Tait

Christopher Howell

2011-12-10 07:32:58 UTC

I'd add Beecham's recording with the RPO. It's very personal as
always with him, but unforgettable.
Don Tait>

Another British recording from the 50s worth considering for the list
is Weldon

Chris Howell

ways

2018-08-20 05:55:29 UTC

Elgar

Kerrison

2018-08-20 06:38:32 UTC

Elgar

This discography lists over 60 recordings from 1924 onwards, though as it stops at 2012 it's probably in need of up-dating. It is a nonsense for that one article to say which is the "best" as it's all a matter of opinion. To say which one you personally like the most is another matter and I find many of the non-British conductors & orchestras particularly interesting in this work, such as Steinberg / Pittsburgh, Ormandy / Philadelphia, Stokowski / Czech Philharmonic, and especially Kleinert / Berlin Radio SO which I'd put up there with the best of them, but that's only my opinion! ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_Variations_discography

Here's a little sample of the live Czech performance under the 90-year old Stokowski with a gorgeously resonant 'Nimrod' due to all that free-bowing in the strings ...

r***@gmail.com

2018-08-20 07:45:45 UTC

I don't think anybody's mentioned Bernstein and BBC SO from early 80s.
That was a very controversial reading.

Rosemary Forbes-Butler

Terry

2011-12-08 22:48:38 UTC

On Fri, 9 Dec 2011 01:54:47 +1100, Polluter Politika wrote
(in article

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Monteux, closely followed by Andrew Davis and then Yehudi Menuhin.

--
Cheers!

Terry

g***@gmail.com

2018-08-20 02:54:23 UTC

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Best recordings (recent article):

http://www.classical-music.com/article/best-recordings-elgars-enigma-variations

s***@gmail.com

2018-08-20 14:42:39 UTC

After seeing what others have posted, I can concur with Monteux/LSO, Mehta/LAPO, Jochum/LP
O and Ormandy/Philly. Would add Dutoit/MSO for the wonderful Decca sound. There is a nice DVD of Davis/BBCSO that I like. The organ part I admit miss when it is not used.

Stan Punzel

m***@icloud.com

2018-08-21 19:21:44 UTC

+1 for Jochum in London
Anyone else rate Solti's Vienna remake, taped live? I like it a lot.

Regards

MRT

Kerrison

2018-08-22 18:46:25 UTC

Post by m***@icloud.com
+1 for Jochum in London
Anyone else rate Solti's Vienna remake, taped live? I like it a lot.
Regards
MRT

Here's a very creditable performance of the 'Variaciones Enigma' from Buenos Aires, given by the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional Argentina under Guillermo Becerra ...

gggg gggg

2021-05-03 22:39:43 UTC

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

(Recent Y. upload):

Repertoire: The TRUTH About The BEST Elgar Enigma Variations

Lawrence Chalmers

2021-05-03 23:24:07 UTC

Post by gggg gggg

Post by Polluter Politika
I like the - in this order
1 MSO- Dutoit
2 BSO - Litton
3 HO - Barbirolli
4.LSO - Boult
What is your favorite?

Repertoire: The TRUTH About The BEST Elgar Enigma Variations

Nobody mentioned Norman Del Mar. I imprinted on the Toscanini recording and love it (w/NBC). sounded good on my AR speakers and the organ even comes through. It does in the Del Mar version which I come to when I want to hear it. I like the organ to come through so I'll have to find which one that happens in.

gggg gggg

2022-01-07 07:16:19 UTC