Sir Andrew Davis and
the BBC Symphony Orchestra have taken
a beloved masterpiece and turned it
into a most enjoyable visual spectacle
in this fascinating and informative
documentary and performance.
In the documentary,
Sir Andrew travels to Elgar’s home and
unravels the mystery of the numerous
dedicatees, known only by their initials
or some code name, that are portrayed
in the work that was to propel the composer
to international fame, and cement his
place in world musical life.
I shan’t give away
all the fun, secrets and twists and
turns here, but it will suffice to say
that Maestro Davis has done his homework,
and has, with the help of fine writers,
assembled a film that is worth repeated
viewing. He carefully outlines all of
the wonderful and interesting characters
from Elgar’s life, and shows how those
personalities are artfully portrayed
within the music.
As for the performance
itself, there are few save some of the
great classic readings such as Boult’s
and Barbirolli’s that can compete with
Davis’s expressive but controlled reading.
The BBC Symphony seems doubly inspired
by the exquisite surroundings of the
Worcester Cathedral. The filmmakers
have added a splendid extra touch of
projecting the portraits of the various
persons portrayed in the music onto
the walls and columns of the church
as their music is performed. This touch
makes for a lovely nostalgic feeling
and a certain ability to relate to the
music even more. One must make sure
and watch the documentary first though
to completely understand and appreciate
the pictorial references.
Presented in both stereo
or surround sound, this disc is a sonic
wonder, and the ambience of the cathedral
is captured quite well. One might fear
that there would be too much decay in
such a big and rolling space, but the
BBC engineers keep the echo under wraps
and there is no loss of detail whatever.
Andrew Davis was obviously meticulous
in his preparation, as there are no
blurred passages whatever and the balance
between the sections is near perfect.
Of particular note
is Davis’s interpretation of the famous
and often maudlin Nimrod. In
the documentary, Davis points out that
this work, although it has now become
associated with times of great mourning,
was never meant to be funereal, and
that Elgar intended it to be a celebration
of his publisher. The slow movement
in Beethoven’s Pathetique sonata
inspired the theme. Davis keeps the
solemnity of the music intact, but does
not over-indulge in the voluptuousness
of it all. Davis and his orchestra bring
the whole piece to a joyous, rip-roaring
conclusion.
This is certainly an
item to add to your collection, both
for the visuals and the splendid performance.
Highly recommended.
Kevin Sutton
see also reviews
by Ian
Lace and John
Phillips (May Recording of the Month)
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sir Andrew Davis 
BBC
OPUS ARTE OA 0917 D [85:58]
