MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


CD REVIEW

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

alternatively
Crotchet

 

Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
In the South (Alassio), Op. 50 (1904) [23:14]
Sea Pictures, Op. 37 (1899) [22:56]
Enigma Variations, Op. 36 (1899) [31:48]
Gladys Ripley (contralto)
London Symphony Orchestra/George Weldon
Philharmonia Orchestra/George Weldon (Enigma)
rec. Abbey Road Studio No. 1, 1954; Kingsway Hall, London, 1953 (Enigma). ADD
SOMM SOMMCD073 [78:11]

 

Experience Classicsonline


George Weldon is probably little more than a name, if that, to younger collectors. He was far from being a “big” presence, spending a relatively short time tied to one orchestra (the CBSO) before being forced to leave by internal politics. After his departure he spent something of a peripatetic existence; he died on tour in
Cape Town in 1963. The booklet note suggests a certain glamour, stressing his love of fast cars and a myriad female admirers. Latter-day readers may raise an eyebrow at this; he was no jetsetter, rather a solid, dependable thoroughly musical conductor. 

This year marks the centenary of his birth and Somm have produced this welcome reissue of three of his key Elgar recordings. Elgar was a composer very dear to Weldon’s heart and he programmed his music frequently in the concert hall. The CD comprises the contents of two Columbia LPs recorded in 1953/54; there was also a collection of music by Holst, Bax and others which appeared on Dutton some years ago but currently this seems to be unavailable. 

In the South is one of Elgar’s richest pieces, bursting with invention and Mediterranean colour; it has to be admitted that Weldon, for all his Elgarian credentials, does not always summon up the exuberance the work ideally requires. Comparison with Boult’s contemporary LPO account, or indeed with the composer himself with the LSO in 1930, reveals a fire and drive that is rather absent from Weldon’s conscientious but earthbound performance. Weldon is effective enough in the softer passages - the Canto popolare is particularly memorable - but he sometimes allows the tempo to drag in the more dynamic portions of the score. Although Elgar’s marvellous scoring is faithfully projected, particularly in the “Roman aqueduct” passage, the performance would have benefited from a touch more drive throughout. 

The recording of Sea Pictures is valuable in that it allows us to hear one of the rare recordings of Gladys Ripley, who like Weldon was also born one hundred years ago. Like her great colleague Kathleen Ferrier, Ripley died young (in 1955) but had established herself as a stalwart of oratorio throughout the country, singing and recording a memorable Angel in Gerontius under Sir Malcolm Sargent. It’s good to hear her evenness of voice production and excellent diction, even if here and there a touch more temperament wouldn’t have gone amiss. There is an excess of politeness in her performance, and those familiar with the more unbuttoned approaches of Dame Janet Baker or Felicity Palmer may find Gladys Ripley a touch staid. But her affection for the music is never in doubt. 

Turning to the 1953 Philharmonia Enigma Variations, we immediately become aware that Weldon is operating on a different plane altogether. While remaining within the mainstream of Elgarian performing tradition, every variation is individually and imaginatively characterised while taking its place as part of the whole. The fast, nervous woodwind figurations in H.D.S.P. and Dorabella contrast effectively with the sonorous legato of the cellos in Richard Arnold or G.R.S. The delicacy of Ysobel is made to contrast with the bluff heartiness of Troyte or G.R.S., and the recording allows us to hear Elgar’s scoring to full advantage. Weldon does not see Nimrod as the climax of the work, and gives the most famous variation an eloquent yet understated performance. The Finale is seen, quite rightly, as the proper culmination of the piece, and brings the disc to a rip-roaring conclusion. One of the finest performances of the Variations I have heard. 

In the South and Sea Pictures were recorded, according to the LSO’s discography, at Abbey Road in February 1954; in the same week the LSO adjourned to Kingsway Hall with Anthony Collins for their famous Decca recording of Falstaff. Collins was able to extract playing of considerably more passion from the LSO. It’s a pity that room could not have been found for Weldon’s Philharmonia Cockaigne; I recall from my father’s old MFP LP that it was quite superlative.

The sound in all three works is remarkably full, rich and resonant, having been remastered by the original producer, Brian Culverhouse - who also contributes a short note on Weldon to the booklet. In Sea Pictures and Enigma the organ makes a welcome and clearly audible appearance. 

Three fine, mainstream Elgar performances from the 1950s; In the South and Sea Pictures just lacking the last degree of imagination, the Enigma Variations something more special altogether.

Ewan McCormick 

see also Review by Rob Barnett 


 


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 


EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb

Writing CD reviews for MWI

About MWI
Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it.

Site Map

How to find a review

How to find articles on MusicWeb
Listed in date order

Review Indexes
   By Label
      Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order
   By Masterwork
            Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Themed Review pages

Jazz reviews

 

Discographies
   Composer
      Composer surveys
   National
      Unique to MusicWeb -
a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works
.
Prepared by Michael Herman

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

Book Reviews

Complete Books
We have a number of out of print complete books on-line

Interviews
With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others
Includes those on the Seen and Heard site

Nostalgia

Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year
Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases

Monthly Best Buys
Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month

Comment
Arthur Butterworth Writes

An occasional column

Phil Scowcroft's Garlands
British Light Music articles

Classical blogs
A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International

Reviewers Logs
What they have been listening to for pleasure

Announcements

 

Community
Bulletin Board

Give your opinions or seek answers

Reviewers
Past and present

Helpers invited!

Resources
How Did I Miss That?

Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips


Composer Resources

British Composers

British Light Music Composers

Other composers

Film Music (Archive)
Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006)

Programme Notes
For concert organizers

External sites
British Music Society
The BBC Proms
Orchestra Sites
Recording Companies & Retailers
Online Music
Agents & Marketing
Publishers
Other links
Newsgroups
Web News sites etc

PotPourri
A pot-pourri of articles

MW Listening Room
MW Office

Advice to Windows Vista users  
Questionnaire    
Site History  
What they say about us
What we say about us!
Where to get help on the Internet
CD orders By Special Request
Graphics archive
Currency Converter
Dictionary
Magazines
Newsfeed  
Web Ring
Translation Service

Rules for potential reviewers :-)
Do Not Go Here!
April Fools




Return to Review Index

Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.