Amy Chastek writes that after much listening she finds Elgar's symphonies
"consistently solid"
The two symphonies are indeed wonderful. I remember reading that some
critic characterized the Second Symphony as "salvation army music." Edo
DeWaart was rather closer when he discussed his own process of getting
familiar with this "misty Mahler." The rich, ever changing expressive
orchestral texture of the first two symphonies is characteristic of the
two symphonies, and although I like the recently completed Third, that
texture is simply not there.
Critics are not to be trusted. I have long felt that the NYTimes critics
really don't like music all that much.
B Chasan