At the 1911 premiere of Elgar's Symphony No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 63, the composer complained of the audience that "they sit there like a lot of stuffed pigs." One can hardly blame them: with the coronation of King George V coming up, listeners expected pomp and circumstance, but instead got a moody, introspective work that nodded more than once in the direction of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 ("Eroica"), right down to the choice of key, and like that work let the clouds lift only in the finale. ...
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At the 1911 premiere of Elgar's Symphony No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 63, the composer complained of the audience that "they sit there like a lot of stuffed pigs." One can hardly blame them: with the coronation of King George V coming up, listeners expected pomp and circumstance, but instead got a moody, introspective work that nodded more than once in the direction of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 ("Eroica"), right down to the choice of key, and like that work let the clouds lift only in the finale. Although Elgar himself tended to push the tempo when conducting the work, the tendency among modern conductors has been to slow down and wring out the drama. Edward Gardner, conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in this nicely recorded Chandos release, takes perhaps a middle path, letting the first movement destabilize its points of rest but not following the Tchaikovsky-like tendencies of the Russian conductors who have essayed the work. He seems somehow to observe the movement's...
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Add this copy of Elgar: Symphony No. 2; Serenade for Strings to cart. $29.85, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2018 by Chandos.
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Edward Elgar. New. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
