From The Archives Volume 4

Description

From SOMM Recordings comes another release from their warmly welcomed series, Elgar from the Archives, drawn from the remarkable collection of producer and restoration engineer Lani Spahr, containing over 5,000 historical recordings of Elgar. In reviewing the first volume of the series, Stuart Millson, contributing editor of The Brazen Head, wrote: “Once again, the supreme sound, Lani Spahr has done a remarkable job of ‘French polishing’ this (English) music.” Volume 4 of the series features the Concert Overture In the South (Alassio), Op. 50, and Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 55. The volumes of the Elgar Archives series showcase both British artists and equally commendable performers from other countries, and In the South is a 1954 release with the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble is conducted by Gerhard Pflüger (1907–1991), who was born and educated in Dresden and unfortunately matured during the years of National Socialism, the destruction of much of Germany, and the creation of the German Democratic Republic. He joined the Nazi Party in 1940 and, from 1946, as a member of the East German Communist Party, held conducting positions in Rostock and Weimar in addition to Leipzig. In this context, for an East German orchestra and conductor, publishing the work of a British composer was not only rare but also courageous. Elgar was enjoying a family holiday in Italy during the winter of 1903-1904, and he was supposed to be working on a long-planned symphony. However, the seaside resort of Alassio on the Italian Riviera proved too enticing, inspiring him to write a concert overture that captured the local atmosphere. He later recalled how, on a beautiful afternoon in the Andora Valley, “...in a flash, it all came to me... In the meantime, I had composed the overture – the rest was just writing it down.” Elgar eventually completed his First Symphony in 1908, which premiered in Manchester on December 3 of the same year, conducted by the Hallé Orchestra under Hans Richter. It was, as described by The Musical Times, an “immediate and phenomenal success.” On the evening of January 30, 1958, the city of Manchester celebrated the centenary of the Hallé Orchestra with a concert that was both broadcast and televised, and it is this live recording that is presented here. The orchestra was conducted by Sir John Barbirolli, their principal conductor from 1943 to 1970. Michael Kennedy, biographer of Elgar and Barbirolli, remarked about the performance: “In their hour of glory, the Hallé and its conductor found the best in each other to honor their own traditions.”