Jane Erb wrote:

>John Smythe writes, regarding Elgar:
>
>>One of the favorite recordings and performances in my entire collection is
>>the Sinopoli/Philharmonia Elgar 1st Symphony coupled with "In the South."
>
>I bow to many when it comes to knowledge of Elgar, to few in love of him;
>however I would have to be one of the 'chauvinists' in this example.  I
>not only don't like the Sinopoli, I dislike it greatly.  Taking fully 10
>minutes longer than the old Barbirolli or the much newer Slatkin (who was
>taught his British music by Susskind and plays it very well indeed), it
>shortly become lethargic.

I know the thrust of Jane's post was regarding the Symphony but it's worth
pointing out that Barbirolli only tackled "In The South" at the very end
of his life - in the final months, in fact - at the prompting of Michael
Kennedy.  Surprising when you consider Sir John's Italian ancestry.  He
played it as a "warm up" to a series of performances of Bruckner's 8th in
Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and London in May of 1970 with the Halle, just
a few weeks before his death.  The BBC broadcast the whole concert (Elgar
and Bruckner) but then went and "mislaid" the tape.  Fortunately it was
beautifully recorded off- air by an enthusiast and it is that tape which
provided the BBC Radio Classics release of the Bruckner just over a year
ago.  The Elgar didn't appear in that release but I do know that the same
enthusiast has it and if the BBC talk nice to him he will let them release
it.

Tony Duggan
Staffordshire,
United Kingdom.