Elgar: Symphony No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 55 & Symphony No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 63

Chronique

When the names of Sir Edward Elgar and Sir Adrian Boult appear together in the same sentence, chances are good that it's in the context of the latter's recordings from the 1970s with EMI, which have achieved legendary status and are widely regarded as authoritative interpretations. But with Lyrita's 2007 reissue of Boult's 1968 recordings with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (the same ensemble he conducted for EMI) of Elgar's Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 55, and the Symphony No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 63, listeners can compare versions for their differences of tempos, dynamics, and other details that inevitably must vary. But the surprising thing about this set is its closeness to the EMI versions: while Boult's performances have slightly different points of emphasis in some passages, and the duration of each symphony is a little shorter than in the later recordings, the interpretations are uncannily similar, and it's quite difficult to tell the two performances apart without a side-by-side analysis. This is evidence of Boult's sureness of beat and solid interpretative powers, for a less secure conductor would find it hard to make these two symphonies come out at nearly the same timing and communicate something close to the same expression. For another attractive feature, these recordings have stunningly focused analog sound that seems almost as transparent and alive as any digital recording, without a trace of tape hiss or any other engineering defect. So if the classic EMI discs are unavailable, try this splendid Lyrita twofer, which is practically the same in musical values and sonically just as satisfying.

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