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Elgar: Symphony No. 1 - Oramo

Elgar: Symphony No. 1 - Oramo

BIS  BIS-1939 SACD

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Orchestral


Elgar: Symphony No 1; Cockaigne (In London Town) Overture, Op. 40

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Sakari Oramo


It was during the winter of 1900–01 that Elgar began to sketch what he hoped would turn into a symphony – his first. But the sketches were quickly absorbed into several shorter pieces, one of which was the Cockaigne overture. Although composed in the rural area of the Malvern Hills, the work is nevertheless an unashamedly populist portrait of ‘old London town’, complete with references to whistling errand boys and a marching band – the composer himself described the music as ‘cheerful and Londony’.

As for the First Symphony, seven years would pass before its première in Manchester and subsequent London performance – a triumphant occasion, as described by Elgar’s publisher: ‘After the first movement E.E. was called out; again, several times, after the third… people stood up and even on their seats to get a view.’

For Elgar, the success must have come as an immense relief - the symphony is hugely ambitious in scale and scope, but also seems to have had a personal significance to the composer, who summarized it as follows: ‘There is no programme beyond a wide experience of human life, with a great charity (love) & a massive hope in the future.’

Conducting this all-Elgar programme is Sakari Oramo, the Finnish conductor who has been all but adopted by English music-lovers and orchestras – for ten years he was music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and since 2013 he holds the post as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Playing here, however, as on the acclaimed 2013 release of Elgar’s Second Symphony, is his ‘Swedish orchestra’, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. But lovers of Elgar’s music can rest assured: in the words of the reviewer on the British web site classicalsource.com ‘there is no need to be concerned that a Finnish conductor and a Swedish orchestra do not “get” Elgar’s music. They do – with power, passion, compassion and authority…

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Review by John Miller - August 3, 2014

At the time of leaving his Birmingham appointment, Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo was awarded the coveted Elgar Medal of the Elgar Society. Its purpose is to “recognise those, who are neither natives nor citizens of the United Kingdom, who have done much to further the reputation of Elgar and his music, either by performance or through scholarship.” While he was the leading conductor of the Birmingham Symphony orchestra, Sakari had spearheaded the UK’s Elgar 150th Anniversary campaign in 2007, to much critical acclaim. Now he has bestowed his self-admitted love of hearing and conducting of Elgar's works upon the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, who, on the evidence of their two Elgar discs so far, have responded with enthusiasm and commitment.

Begun at the same time as the first two Pomp and Circumstance Marches, The Symphony No. 1 in A flat was first performed in Manchester in December 1908. It was dedicated to and conducted by Hans Richter who said of it: "Gentlemen, let us now rehearse the greatest symphony of modern times, written by the greatest modern composer - and not only in this country". Neither the Manchester audience nor its baffled critics expressed any such praise, but a few months later, Richter conducted the symphony in London with the LSO, to a sensational reception.

Elgar's recording of late 1930 with the LSO is the touchstone for his First Symphony, deeply studied by Solti for his own recording with the LPO in 1972. Only Solti has come close to Elgar's energetic timings for each movement - he even beats the composer by a few seconds in the second movement. Other Modern conductors, however, have mostly settled on a significantly more expansive approach, a fine example of how the tempi of the past become slower overall. Oramo's timings are about average in the modern speed-range, except for the second movement, which is about a minute faster. Speed, however, is not the only characteristic of Elgar's performance, and I couldn't help noticing that Sakari's reading had many of Elgar's own interpretative devices.

The first movement opens with two soft, short drum rolls, which from Elgar, each with an abrupt end, sound like a preparatory clearing of throat. Oramo, though, like Barbirolli and others, make it a distant warning of dark events. Like Elgar, though, Oramo takes the fine motto melody simply, in time with its walking bass accompaniment and without rubato, but its following repeat in fortissimo is truly "nobilmente". His pacing of the whole movement is forward-looking, full of warmth and energy, yet its positive progress is cleverly halted for Elgar's characteristic passages of tender fantasy. The wonderful transparency of the BIS recording allows all the colouration of Elgar's mastery of the orchestra to add to the emotional content of each movement, and the SPO players seem to be inspired by Oramo's vision and direction.

The second movement bears the unusual time signature of 2/2 and is palpably a quick march, not a scherzo, possibly a hang-over from Elgar's contemporary working on his Pomp and Circumstance series. Oramo has the strings scrub tersely, with strong accents and dominating brass played with remarkable precision. This foreboding, dry manner contrasts superbly with the central section, a charming and gentle balletic-like interlude, gorgeously scored for upper strings and woodwind. This dissolves and merges into an eerie, slowly vanishing return of the march, which itelf fades seamlessly into the Adagio movement, in 4/8 time. This is one of Elgar's most glorious movements, strings divided into two parts with only two players per part at the beginning, delicate yet exuding warmth and tenderness. Oramo's control and pacing here is superb, so the following even more heart-rending lyricism is magical. Elgar has the strings do portamenti swoops in the upward leaps of this melody, but this is eschewed by Oramo, perhaps thinking this would make the music too sweet at his slower tempo. The legendary lengthy and intensive coda is done as well if not better than Barbirolli in this exquisite farewell. Its peace and tranquillity are stored up in the listener's sonic battery for the more ebullient finale.

In the finale, Sakari's forward direction and gathering of energy is progressively exciting. Its slow, dark opening with low bassoons and clarinets supports the individual separated notes of the motto as they tiptoe in, one by one, slowly building tension which suddenly bursts out with the main syncopated, dryly separated march tune. It suddenly launches into a terrific pace, challenging the virtuosity of the strings with its sheer energy. Hold on the edge of your seat until you are finally relieved by the arrival of a new cantabile variation of the motto, soaring into Elgar's loveliest blue-sky theme, as radiant as the sunshine of the Worcestershire hills of his youth.

Complaints have sometimes been made about some of the extant versions of the First Symphony that the final few dozen bars can be disappointing. Not here; the SPO are blazingly passionate; the big bass drum is added (not the apocryphal organ as far as I can tell). The brass swaggeringly give out the motto, while huge waves of string arpeggios surge over them. Then Oramo ignites a real dash for the finishing line (Elgar was fond of racing!) which is loud, breath-taking and thoroughly satisfying.

The Cockaigne Overture is Elgar's playful and perceptive musical portrait and tour-guide of London (his home for most of his professional life - he was, after all, the Master of the King's Music). Recorded at a different session, the orchestra is a little closer, which is apt for this work's textures of delicate etchings with many solos. This time, Oramo is faster than Elgar, Barbirolli, and Solti, but only for a couple of 10s of seconds of its nearly quarter of an hour playing time. Oramo assumes the vigour and variety of its denizens and their businesses - and their habitats too, such as the quiet park with lovers. Once again the RPO are at the top of their game, the heavy brass in particular, and the expertly precise to-and-fro exchanges of the violins divided on either side of the stage mimic Cockney conversations. I found Oramo's lively, fresh view of Cockaigne to be delightfully entertaining. That judgement encompasses the sonic side too, as the Stockholm Concert Hall's organ arrives unmistakably in full force for the closing pages, so there will be no arguments about was there an ad lib organ or not!

At both sessions the orchestra were given notable more lofty and sympathetic ambience from the Concert Hall, adding a bloom which was missing from Oramo's Second Symphony (Elgar: Symphony No. 2 - Oramo). This brilliant sonic picture of a Stockholm concert impulsively and passionately preformed, adds up to a refreshing and thought-provoking pairing. A compelling album and worthy of place amongst the best discs in the repertoire. Oramo really deserves his Elgar medal.

Copyright © 2014 John Miller and HRAudio.net

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Review by Graham Williams - August 21, 2014

The internationalism of Elgar's music is now so well established that it is hard to believe that for many it was once once regarded as the preserve of just English conductors and orchestras. How much that has changed is clear from a glance at the current list of recordings of Elgar's 1st Symphony on SACD where only one of the six currently available versions is performed by a British orchestra and conductor.

Sakari Oramo has long been a champion of British music as his tenure as musical director of the CBSO in the post Rattle era (1999-2007) attests. During this period his enthusiastic advocacy of Elgar's music in Symphony Hall culminated in an impressive CD release of 'The Dream of Gerontius' and the 'Enigma Variations' - issued in 2007 to mark the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth.

On this impressive new coupling of Elgar's 1st Symphony and ' Cockaigne' Overture Oramo elicits thrilling playing from every section of the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and has the added benefit of some of the finest recorded sound these works have received.

Oramo's moderate pacing of the Symphony's first movement happens to be identical with that of Hickox but the aural picture is quite different. The BIS recording is more immediate and sharply focused, clearly demonstrating that the string body of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales is no match for those of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic in richness of tone. This is especially evident in the exciting scherzo where the articulation of the Stockholm players could hardly be bettered. One might, however, question Oramo's sudden broadening of the tempo at 4'29”, something that briefly impedes the movement's forward drive. The slow movement, surely the clincher in any performance of this work, is glorious. It unfolds with the utmost expressiveness at an ideal tempo, its concluding bars establishing a mood of absolute tranquillity.

The finale is terrific and though perhaps lacking a touch of the fire and drive of say Solti in the main Allegro Oramo does not disappoint when the 'big tune' arrives at 6.50. The remainder of the movement and especially its triumphant closing pages are notable for the magnificent brass of the Stockholm orchestra.

Elgar's 'Cockaigne' Overture, here receiving only its second recording on SACD, is given a stylish and idiomatic performance in which freshness and energy are the key features. The sound here has an almost tactile quality, but though Oramo includes the organ in the closing pages its pedal notes are lacking in weight so those expecting a floor shaking experience may well be disappointed.

As I have suggested the recordings of both works made in the Stockholm Concert Hall some six months apart are superb possessing a wide but natural sounding dynamic range that, aided by the conductor's antiphonal seating of the violins, misses not one iota of Elgar's subtle handling of his themes.

I hope that BIS will give us more British music from these artists and especially having just heard a magnificent Prom performance of Vaughan Williams' 'Job' from Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra I would put that work and a new cycle of the Symphonies at the top of my wish list.

Copyright © 2014 Graham Williams and HRAudio.net

Performance:

Sonics (Multichannel):

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