Composer: Gustav Holst, Edward Elgar
Performer: Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Edvard Grieg Kor
Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Andrew Litton
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: BIS
Release: 2019
Size: 1.32 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Elgar: Enigma Variations, Op. 36
01. Theme. Andante “Enigma”
02. Var. 1, L’istesso tempo “C. A. E.”
03. Var. 2, Allegro “H. D. S-P.”
04. Var. 3, Allegretto “R. B. T.”
05. Var. 4, Allegro di molto “W. M. B.”
06. Var. 5, Moderato “R. P. A.”
07. Var. 6, Andantino “Ysobel”
08. Var. 7, Presto “Troyte”
09. Var. 8, Allegretto “W. N.”
10. Var. 9, Adagio “Nimrod”
11. Var. 10, Intermezzo. Allegretto “Dorabella”
12. Var. 11, Allegro di molto “G. R. S.”
13. Var. 12, Andante “B. G. N.”
14. Var. 13, Romanza. Moderato “* * *”
15. Var. 14, Finale. Allegro “E. D. U.”
Holst: The Planets, Op. 32
16. I. Mars, the Bringer of War
17. II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
18. III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
19. IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
20. V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
21. VI. Uranus, the Magician
22. VII. Neptune, the Mystic
It is striking that two of the true classics in English orchestral music were composed within the short space of some fifteen years around the turn of the previous century. Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations have charmed as well as fascinated listeners since the first performance in 1899. In 14 remarkably diverse variations Elgar demonstrates his compositional mastery while creating miniature portraits of his closest friends, as well as of his wife and himself. By turns gentle, idyllic, tempestuous and boisterous, the pieces which often run seamlessly into each other nevertheless make up a coherent whole, like a group portrait taken during a country weekend. In 1916 Gustav Holst completed another set of musical character sketches his suite The Planets, in seven movements. These have little to do with astronomy and even less with the Roman deities whose names they carry. Holst was rather inspired by astrology and the suite actually concerns human character as influenced by the planets. Performing the programme in the warm acoustics of Bergen’s Grieg Hall, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra under Andrew Litton give it their all in this sonic spectacular.