David Stewart wrote: >I have recently become addicted to Elgar. I have got to the stage where >I have been able to listen to his second symphony 2 times on the trot. >But I need more, so recommendations would be much apreciated. I have: > >Symphonies 1,2,(3) Firstly, it had better be said that, so far, there is only one commercial recording available of Anthony Payne's version of the Third Symphony material. It is Andrew Davis's with the BBC Symphony on NMC. As Roger Hecht has said a number of times, let us hope that more will follow. The Davis CD is good, but it was made some time before the first public performance and Davis and the orchestra have refined their view of it. I have two off-air tapes of subsequent live performances, one of the first public performance and one of the Proms performance last summer (of which I also have a video of the telecast.) Both are to be preferred. Don't know what you already have, of course, but you ought to hear Sir John Barbirolli in the the first two symphonies. He recorded both twice and his later EMI stereo versions are the easiest to find. James Judd and the Halle in the First is also worth hearing too. >Enigma My own favourite is Barbirolli and the Halle from the 1950s but that might be out of the catalogue now so JB's later Philharmonia version on EMI is the one to get coupled as it is with, for me, the best Falstaff of all. >Intro & Allegro for Strings There is a marevllous recording of this by Benjamin Britten that isn't mentioned enough on Decca. Failing that, Barbirolli or Boult. >Serenade for Strings >Elegy for Strings These two are usually coupled together. The usual suspects won't let you down. >Cello Concerto Everyone else will tell you that Jaqueline du Pre with the LSO and Barbirolli is the definitive version so there is no need for me to plug it too hard. I admire it but I would point you to other views which are slightly less emotionally charged. Beatrice Harrison with Elgar himself conducting (coupled with the boy Menhiun in the Violin Concerto) should be in every collection and Julian Lloyd Webber's version with Menhiun on Phillips is surprisingly fine. No mention of the Violin Concerto, David. You must have that too and my own favourite is Hugh Bean and the RLPO under Groves but there is a version by Ida Haendel with Boult that first came out on EMI but which has just been reissued on Testament. >I have heard of a piece called the kingdom - is this a good one? Yes. It is the second part of a projected trilogy of oratorios of which The Apostoles is the first part. Boult preferred it to The Dream of Gerontius. Boult's own recording is the one I like best. You DO have The Dream of Gerontius in you collection, I hope. My own favourite recording is Sargent's on Testament with Heddle Nash as Gerontius. But Barbirolli with Janet Baker as the Angel on EMI is a great stereo alternative. Tony Duggan Staffordshire, United Kingdom.