COMPOSERS: Brahms,Elgar
LABELS: Cala
WORKS: Enigma Variations
PERFORMER: Czech PO, LSO/Stokowski
CATALOGUE NO: CACD 0524 ADD Reissue (1972)
Aided by generous subsidy from David Mellor, reissued under the aegis of the Leopold Stokowsi Society, and clothed in the rich hues of Decca’s Phase 4 Stereo, the welcome reissue of these live recordings from 1972 shows the 90-year-old Stokowski a force still to be reckoned with. Don’t be put off by the unmarked ritenutos early on in the Enigma: this account, with the Czech Philharmonic and a suprisingly straightforward ‘Nimrod’, evolves into a reading of symphonic intent. Like the Elgar, the Brahms is a typically warm and generous offering, built, this time, on the rich string underlay of the LSO. Antony Bye
Elgar, Brahms
Aided by generous subsidy from David Mellor, reissued under the aegis of the Leopold Stokowsi Society, and clothed in the rich hues of Decca’s Phase 4 Stereo, the welcome reissue of these live recordings from 1972 shows the 90-year-old Stokowski a force still to be reckoned with. Don’t be put off by the unmarked ritenutos early on in the Enigma: this account, with the Czech Philharmonic and a suprisingly straightforward ‘Nimrod’, evolves into a reading of symphonic intent.
Our rating
4
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:16 pm