COMPOSERS: Various
LABELS: Decca
Decca’s ‘British Music Collection’, launched earlier this year with Andrew Litton’s commemorative WALTON box (reviewed in June), continues its exploration of the musical heritage of these islands with a substantial batch of reissues.
I’ll mention just a few here, though most are worth investigating. Solti’s charismatic and highly charged ELGAR symphonies (473 082-2, £14.99) with the LPO offer novel perspectives on these works, complimenting but never eclipsing Boult’s EMI versions with the same orchestra.
Don’t miss Kyung-Wha Chung’s volcanic performance of the Violin Concerto, the highlight of a second Elgar compilation (473 085-2, £14.99).
Even without The Garden of Fand, Decca’s ARNOLD BAX collection (473 080-2, £10.99) provides a worthwhile overview, but note that Boult’s majestic 1955 Tintagel was recorded monaurally.
There’s just room to mention that Colin Davis’s definitive LSO recordings of TIPPETT’s Symphonies Nos 1-3 are also available (473 092-2, £14.99).