Sir Georg Solti - Elgar: Enigma Variation IX 'Nimrod'

[@iliagueorguieviliev5047]

Ники,здравей!! Чудесна партитура........Елгар!!Енигма!!!Да живее музиката!!!

[@angelosilva4051]

Edward Elgar GENIO SUBLIME E MERAVIGLIOSO Grande Sir Georg Solti

[@viviviccello]

My heart is broken every time when I listen this music...

[@NicholasWingComposer]

Happy Birthday, Sir Edward Elgar. May God forever bless your memory and musical legacy...

[@kyung-wonlim273]

Thank you so much for sharing.

[@JPWorld100]

Nobody gets anywhere near this class of conducting of Nimrod - it is totally and utterly wonderful, so very uplifting . Brings up goosebumps every time and Sir George is superlative - unquestionably without equal.

[@scabbycatcat4202]

The real master of this piece is Sir Adrian Boult with the london PHILHARMONIC ( not to be confused with his other recording with the LSO ) No one, repeat No one brings such a powerful climax to the piece as Sir Adrian. I have studied literaly dozens.

[@shalicgraw5280]

2:45 -end is a brilliant interpretation. And the brief pause/cut-off just before the final statement is breathtaking.

[@jaegertiger384]

BRASS is what makes this piece... from 2:54 to 3:15... it is like a Wagnerian phrase that portrays the POWER Elgar brought to the fore.

[@PamBurnard1]

Simply sublime

[@redpoemsformywife9945]

This is the best tempo I have heard on KZbin. The others lose the idea of A Melody in very very largo passages.

[@DAVEBLISS2007]

Solti is my favorite conductor does a great job here with Elgar's emotionally Nimrod. Beautifully crafted and captures all the splendor of this great orchestra.

[@texleeger8973]

He's mine too. Ever since I saw him live with the CSO in 1971. Two different concerts on two successive nights in Spaulding Auditorium, Dartmouth College. One of a long life's endearing and forever memories.

[@ekaterinapupynina8543]

Tres bien!!!

[@WagnerMahler]

I think it is a noble rendition, and as usual: beautiful phrasing by Solti...

[@WelshHomo87]

Yesh i feel the same wsy

[@neethadesilva5747]

😊

[@dorothysurry1368]

😢😢😢every time I hear Nimrod.

[@loeve1]

Beautiful

[@joseluisfernandezfreije1092]

maravilloso

[@bornagain841]

I heard the BU youth orchestra play the Enigma Variations last summer at the Tanglewood Institute in Lenox last summer. They sound professional.

[@adamdriver1016]

England. A peoples whose history is the world's. England. England England. Our nation.

[@AngloSaxonVanguard]

the best rendition i have heard is Barenboim in 1997 in Chicago utter perfection .

[@thunderc45]

Agreed. I think this lot were looking to catch the Indian before it shut.

[@TheStockwell]

Yes. Elgar loved recording. EMI put out a box set of his recordings. Nine CDs worth. Amazon sells them. Do a search for "The Elgar Edition: The Complete Electrical Recordings of Sir Edward Elgar" and there you are. 30 to 50 dollars, depending on your preference. Incredible performances.

[@ivanhorvath]

yes! you're 100% right!

[@rk41gator]

Tempo. One of the reasons it is called an interpretation, art is not static. This is wonderful and dramatic, as is Chicago Symphony's performance with Daniel Barenboim. There is no 'correct' way to play any composition. It is in the eye of the artist.

[@SamHodkin23]

I'll second this in terms of a "correct" way. Some would call Bernstein's rendition painfully slow, others would class any done by Sir John Barbrilli (personal favourite) as neck-breakingly fast, but both have their merits.

[@edwardnah6739]

I like this interpretation as this show very good phrasing.

[@leoncioviolin]

PRECIOSO

[@soccerhawkins]

before 1939 war and just after, we had a 78rpm of Elgar conducting this..it was almost worn off the bakelite...I often wonder is there such a recording on some museum somewhere? Elgar' dynamics, and speed ...have not heard anything liketht...

[@TwoHelmetsDC]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZKzpX6lgZJ5qa8 at 12'

[@ericnk58]

This is the most perfect, sublime rendering of the "Nimrod" variation. Solti was the heir to Toscanini.

[@ericnk58]

+Western Shipway Well, I guess we'll just agree to disagree. Ta-ta.

[@return2earthvideochannel]

Listen at around 2.35, it suddenly speeds up and each phrase follows the previous one too quickly rather than allowing the music to breath and flow correctly. Surprised that so many comments don't mention this.

[@Starglance]

That's why I don't like this version

[@billstamford1043]

Have your own views and perhaps stand with others of a like view but this performance is the Real Thing - Par Excelance

[@vincentlauria7857]

I also agree this is just too fast, much prefer Barenboim and Chicago philharmonic version. This goes too fast to appreciate the way the notes flow into each other. It's the equivalent of choking down a beautiful chocolate brownie with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top as if the restaurant is about to close - each mouthful should be savoured!

[@smudger671]

Interestingly, this is fairly close to Elgar's own version, which is even faster!

[@teamcori]

Im playing this in a orchestra the performing at the barbican

[@pukunu1]

I find it plainly stated at this tempo, not sucked in to long drawn out theatrics, and all the more for it.

[@bobchambers6191]

I believe there is an error in the description: I'm fairly confident that the recording date is wrong, as my late father was Principal Viola in 1975 (the stated recording date) yet does not appear in the video clip. On checking the DVD info on ICA's website (icaclassics.com/releases/sir-georg-solti) I noticed that there it is given as 1979, by which time my Dad had moved to the Philharmonia.

[@robertpalmer1435]

Solti is closest to Elgar's tempo available here on KZbin. Even a little slower, I think.

[@smudger671]

Absolutely! It doesn't need to be played like a dirge.

[@OoOWachimaOoO]

30 + grammy awards!

[@grandisdavid]

I have a huge respect for Solti but where the heck is the beat at 3:06? There are so many gestures!

[@NicholasWarnertheFirst]

Tsk!

[@wwdunc]

Though Sir Georg’s conducting style could be rather unconventional, his beat is clear. I can follow it, and, obviously, so could the orchestra. And that’s what matters-not how smooth and polished you appear to observers, but that the ensemble you conduct understands and can follow your directions.

[@grandisdavid]

@@wwdunc I love Solti but I've heard from many players who worked under him that it was indeed not clear at all.

[@wwdunc]

Really? That’s interesting. Were these members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra? At any rate, I’ve made my living for years as an accompanist (pianist and organist, in both church and academic settings), and I’ve had to follow all sorts of conductors-experienced, inexperienced, clear and precise, unclear and confusing, etc.-and I’ve done some conducting myself (I’m a music educator). Though he had a lot of extraneous, idiosyncratic gestures, I think Solti’s beat was quite clear. It’s in the tip of his baton.

[@grandisdavid]

@@wwdunc well, I'm a professional conductor and I really don't think "clear" is an adjective that can describe his conducting. The friends I mentioned were in the Orchestre de Paris, Chicago and one was with London Philharmonic. All seemed to agree that it was difficult to follow and yet it worked. The same can be said of Munch in a very different style.

[@Euphman]

I'll preface this by saying I'm a huge fan of Solti's recordings. The tempo was a little bright overall for my taste, but excellent performance nonetheless.

[@return2earthvideochannel]

For the 'ultimate' performance listen to this majestic recording by Leopold Stokowski. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJ20fayXnrKcm7c 'Stoko' really understood Elgar.

[@violinhunter2]

With all due respect for the LPO musicians and Solti - the climax is in the wrong place. Most conductors (99 out of 100?) place the climax in the wrong place. One usually does not notice because that's what we have become accustomed to. Compare this (or any other KZbin performance) to the one by the Warsaw Philharmonic and you will (I hope) notice the difference.

[@violinhunter2]

The climax begins to build from about 2:57

[@violinhunter2]

@Alex Mack In this video, at 3:03 and 3:04 the timpany virtually disappears..... and does not crescendo again until 3:07. It leaves the brass to sustain the momentum and it loses a lot by that - it just leaves a gaping "hole." In the Warsaw version, the timpany keeps the crescendo going while the brass actually drops the volume down and then picks up again. It is a triumph of imagination - a very clever use of the timpani roll. I actually don't know what the score calls for but if it is contrary to what the Warsaw conductor does, then the score is wrong.

[@violinhunter2]

By the way, Warsaw has one of the best concertmasters in the world - second to none - in Maria Machowska.

[@laurajuliethope]

I can never think of this piece as beautiful because NIMROD makes me think DIP-WAD.

[@billstrzempek7045]

speedy. He must have had a train to catch.

[@sadisticweasel123]

His conducting towards the end makes me laugh every time.

[@scabycat]

@garryph I found ur comments about Elgars 2nd symphony conducted by solti very interesting. I have a recording of him with the LPO and its an absolute car crash of a performance!!! The whole symphony is played at absolute break neck speed - almost as if " lets just get this over with as quickly as possible. I'm afraid EVERYTHING I have ever listened to by solti has been a huge disapointment- Nimrod included

[@TheFortissimo1]

Gorgeous conducting, but a bit rushed for my taste

[@natanata5919]

Еркус0в

[@thipwadeeingkasampan7915]

S

[@return2earthvideochannel]

Listen from about 1 minute 18. Every other chord is rushed - the second phrase being played too quickly after the previous one. The timing is horrible, very 'wooden', no feeling from the orchestra. For the 'ultimate' interpretation, go and listen to Leopold Stokowski, he measures the tempo and phrasing perfectly.

[@xtrahandz]

Too rushed for my taste. Prefer Colin Davis and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

[@peterfeltham5612]

Some say too fast....some say too slow...just shut up and enjoy.

[@mark-shane]

still played too slow .. listen to elgar's own recording

[@ivanhorvath]

Berenboim with Chicago is better. Much.

[@Starglance]

This is played far too quick for my taste, it kills the true majesty of this masterpiece

[@smudger671]

This is close to Elgar's own version and in fact may be a little slower!

[@effemess]

Much to fast!

[@return2earthvideochannel]

Yes you are correct - a very wooden performance, I cannot listen to it.

[@longordr]

yes, rushed......

[@andreyborisov]

Ah, for the love of God, why? We just got used to that cheesy VERYSLOWANDMEANINGFUL tradition that comes from nowhere.

[@Nai61a]

andreyborisov Agreed. And anyway, Solti understands brilliantly the need for ebb and flow in this movement, bringing out the climaxes magnificently. We Brits (in particular) have got used to milking the piece for sentiment and that's not always in the best taste in my view.

[@gordonford9912]

Legend has it Solti studied the composer's original notations with his usual obsessional passion and famed absolute confidence. I'm sure his conducting of the pieces precisely favored Elgar's notes concerning timing and were colored further by his own penchant for dynamics stemming from his operatic conducting? :smile: As for myself, at least with Variation IX, I tend to agree with the resulting performance. Stunning!

[@return2earthvideochannel]

The changes of Tempo are distracting and self-indulgent - the conductor is not more important than Elgar... seems he forgot that on this occasion. Sadly, it is like a karaoke version!

[@MrDaiseymay]

Personally---not my favourite performance, by a long way; and losing much emotional drama, by being too hurried.

[@dieseldog00]

Too fast. WAY too fast! Watch Barenboim and Rattle they set the correct tempo.

[@simonanicolettaofficial]

Very rushed indeed, loosing the sense of majesty, in my opinion