NOTES (FRA)

Elgar chez Glossa? Pourquoi pas ? Il s’agit en effetde réunir un orchestre remarquable et l’un deschefs d’orchestre britanniques le plus de talentueuxet ayant le plus d’affinité avec la musiqueromantique, afin de pouvoir relever avec grandeautorité, énergie, sensibilité et spontanéité le défid’interpréter la Première Symphonie. C’est là lesecond disque de la Flemish Radio Orchestra(Orchestre de la Radio Flamande) chez Glossa.

Brabbins est un chef idéal à l’heure de diriger uneœuvre appartenant à la tradition orchestrale duromantisme européen tardif, et il le fait à la têted’un ensemble capable de projeter un nouveléclairage sur une œuvre appartenant presque enexclusivité au domaine très réservé des orchestresbritanniques. Dans le cadre de ce 150e anniversairede la naissance du compositeur, fils d’un accordeurde pianos, né à Broadheath, dans les environs deWorcester, il semble approprié et stimulant depouvoir apprécier ce chef-d’œuvre dans uneapproche effectuée par des musiciens nonbritanniques. De fait, l’article sensible de ColinAnderson pour le livret du disque, situe la musiquede Elgar dans un ample contexte européen.

Et pour accompagner cette Première Symphonie,le chef et l’orchestre ont choisi le Prélude del’oratorio The Kingdom, complété par Elgar en1906, deux ans avant la composition de lasymphonie. Il s’agit donc de deux œuvres de grandematurité de la meilleure musique britannique.

NOTIZEN (DEU)

Elgar bei Glossa? Warum eigentlich nicht, wenndas eines der führenden britischen Dirigententalenteauf dem Gebiet der Musik der Romantik, MartynBrabbins, mit einem Orchester wie dem FlämischenRadioorchester zusammenbringt, das dentechnischen Anforderungen der Ersten Sinfoniesowohl mit Spontaneität als auch mit Elan ganzhervorragend gewachsen ist? Dieses Ensemble hathier seinen zweiten Auftritt bei unserem Label.

Brabbins ist ein idealer Dirigent, der das Ruderfest in der Hand hält bei einem Werk, das rechtgemütlich am Ende der spätromantischen Traditioneuropäischer Orchestermusik steht. Er führt seineTruppen in einer Weise, die neues Licht auf diesesWerk fallen lässt und neue Aspekte außerhalb derAufführungsgewohnheiten der großen britischenOrchester aufzeigt. In diesem Jubiläumsjahr des150. Geburtstages von Edward Elgar ist es sicherangebracht – und überdies künstlerisch anregend– darauf zu hören, wie Musiker, die nicht aus demVereinigten Königreich stammen, sich einem derMeisterwerke dieses Komponisten nähern, der derSohn eines Klavierstimmers war und in dem DorfBroadheath bei Worcester in England geborenwurde. In Colin Andersons erhellendemBookletartikel ist einiges Grundsätzliche über ElgarsStellung in der europäischen Musikgeschichte zuerfahren.

Der Ersten Sinfonie haben Dirigent und Orchestereine mitreißende Interpretation des Präludiums zuElgars Oratorium The Kingdom zur Seite gestellt.Dieses wurde 1906 geschrieben, zwei Jahre vorder Vollendung der Ersten Sinfonie, und beideWerke sind reife Vertreter des Besten, das inGroßbritannien geschaffen wurde.

NOTAS (ESP)

¿Elgar en Glossa? Y porqué no, tratándose dejuntar a uno de los directores británicos con mayortalento para la música romántica con una orquestasobresaliente, que resuelve con gran autoridad,energía, sensibilidad y espontaneidad el reto deinterpretar la Primera Sinfonía. Se trata del segundodisco de la Flemish Radio Orchestra (Orquesta dela Radio Flamenca) para el sello.

Brabbins es un director ideal a la hora de conduciruna obra inmersa en la tradición orquestaltardorromántica europea, y de hacerlo al frentede un conjunto que arroja nueva luz sobre unaobra casi siempre atada a la práctica interpretativade orquestas británicas. En este 150 aniversariodel nacimiento del compositor, parece apropiadoy estimulante escuchar el acercamiento de músicosno británicos a esta obra maestra de un compositorque fue hijo de un afinador de pianos, nacido enel pueblo de Broadheath, a las afueras de Worcester.De hecho, el perceptivo artículo de Colin Andersonpara el libreto sitúa la música de Elgar dentro deun amplio contexto europeo.

Y para acompañar a esta Primera Sinfonía, directory orquesta han elegido el Preludio del oratorio TheKingdom, completado por Elgar en 1906, dos añosantes de la composición de la sinfonía. Por lo tanto,se trata de dos obras de gran madurez de la mejormúsica británica.

NOTES (ENG)

Elgar on Glossa? And why not, when it bringstogether one of the UK’s leading conducting talentsin Romantic music, Martyn Brabbins with thecommitted advocacy of an orchestra rising superblyto the technical challenges of the First Symphonywith both spontaneity and energy: the FlemishRadio Orchestra, who here make there secondappearance on the label.

Brabbins is an ideal director to be at the helm ofa work that sits comfortably in the Late RomanticEuropean tradition of orchestral music and formarshalling the forces which can shed new lighton a work from outside the grand performingpractice of the British orchestras. In this 150thanniversary year of Edward Elgar’s birth it is surelyright – as well as artistically exciting – to hear howmusicians from outside the UK approach one ofthe masterpieces of the composer, the son of apiano-tuner and born in the village of Broadheathoutside Worcester in England. Indeed, ColinAnderson’s perceptive booklet article has more tosay on the positioning of Elgar in the generalscheme of European musical history.

To accompany the First Symphony conductor andorchestra have added an engaging rendition of thePrelude to The Kingdom, Elgar’s oratorio, completedin 1906, two years before he finished his FirstSymphony; both mature statements from Britain’sfinest.

www.glossamusic.com

Edward ElgarSymphony No. 1 – The Kingdom: Prelude

Flemish Radio OrchestraMartyn Brabbins

Glossa GCDSA 922204Hybrid SACDFull-price digipak

Programme

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

The Kingdom, op. 51: Prelude

Symphony No. 1, op. 55I. Andante. Nobilmente e semplice – AllegroII. Allegro moltoIII. AdagioIV. Lento – Allegro

Production details

Total playing time: 58’23

Recorded at Studio 4, Flagey, Brussels,in September 2006Engineered and produced by Manuel MohinoExecutive producer: Carlos Céster

Design by Valentín Iglesias (00:03:00)Booklet essay by Colin AndersonEnglish Français Deutsch Español

Edward ElgarSymphony No. 1

GCDSA 922204New release informationSeptember 2007

8 424562 22204 5

www.glossamusic.com

Martyn Brabbinson the performance of Elgar

Elgar on Glossa? And why not, when it bringstogether one of the UK’s leading conducting talentsin Romantic music, Martyn Brabbins with thecommitted advocacy of an orchestra rising superblyto the technical challenges of the First Symphonywith both spontaneity and energy: the FlemishRadio Orchestra, who here make there secondappearance on the label. Brabbins is an ideal directorto be at the helm of a work that sits comfortablyin the Late Romantic European tradition of orchestralmusic and for marshalling the forces which canshed new light on a work from outside the grandperforming practice of the British orchestras. Inthis 150th anniversary year of Edward Elgar’s birthit is surely right – as well as artistically exciting –to hear how musicians from outside the UK approachone of the masterpieces of the composer, the sonof a piano-tuner and born in the village ofBroadheath outside Worcester in England. Indeed,Colin Anderson’s perceptive booklet article hasmore to say on the positioning of Elgar in thegeneral scheme of European musical history. Toaccompany the First Symphony conductor andorchestra have added an engaging rendition of thePrelude to The Kingdom, Elgar’s oratorio, completedin 1906, two years before he finished his FirstSymphony; both mature statements from Britain’sfinest.

If Martyn Brabbins has made significant appearances– on record as well as on stage – with orchestrassuch as the BBC Scottish Symphony, LondonSinfonietta and the Philharmonia, his conductingcurrently takes him well beyond the British Islesand also into the realms of contemporary music.He has been to Hamburg for Peter Eötvös’ I TriSestri and to Amsterdam for Jonathan Harvey’sWagner Dream, to Frankfurt for Ernest Bloch’sMacbeth, returning there early next year for Puccini’sTosca. The Flemish Radio Orchestra (the VlaamsRadio Orkest or VRO) dates back to 1935 and isnow based in Brussels. For its first Glossa releaseit recorded Stravinsky’s L’oiseau de feu and theChant du rossignol under the direction of its PrincipalConductor, Yoel Levi.

indeed masterful, with not a wasted note to befound! I feel that is the music of a young man.Vigorous, passionate, bold, highly charged and yettender too. A pretty nigh perfect synthesis ofintellect and inspiration, technique and creativefreedom. It is no surprise that the First Symphonyis the favourite Elgar work of so many musicians,professional and amateur alike, so well does it hitits expressive target!

How has working outside that performancetradition of Elgar’s music (one closelyassociated with a number of Britishorchestras) with the Flemish Radio Orchestrahelped you – and the orchestra – to view theFirst Symphony?

Working towards a performance or recording of alarge Elgar work with an orchestra that has neverbefore performed this music brings a whole set ofchallenges. The music is technically demanding,particularly so for the strings. Elgar being himselfan accomplished violinist had the gift to write musicthat although sometimes fiendishly difficult, isultimately possible to play! So no faking is allowed,nor indeed required! But what is required is time.Time to rehearse, to assimilate and to deliver. Anorchestra unfamiliar with the subtleties of Elgarianorchestration can miss some very important andtelling musical details. British orchestras, beingfamiliar with the style, demand less attention fromthe conductor, as they are, generally speaking,fully paid up members of the Elgar ExpertPerformers Club!! Attention to detail pays enormousrewards in Elgar interpretation, in terms of balanceand orchestration, and with regard to tempo. Ignorehis written instructions and his recorded legacy atyour peril. The great joy of working with the VROon this recording was the very fact that they wereElgar virgins!! No performance tradition to fightagainst, just a clean slate waiting to be filled in…

Does the music in Prelude from The Kingdomrepresent a different Elgar to you? Does itsspirit foreshadow the Elgar of the FirstSymphony?

I do believe that in the large choral works –Gerontius, The Apostles, The Kingdom –Elgar does take on a somewhat different approachto that he took in his symphonies. There is adefinite and urgent dramatic undercurrent. One isconstantly aware of Elgar the storyteller, of hisdesire to illuminate and project the narrative. Thisis most definitely apparent in the – wordless –Prelude to The Kingdom, a tightly structuredencapsulation of the two-and-a-half-hour storythat subsequently unfolds in the oratorio.

Beyond Elgar and other music from theRomantic period you have a strong inclinationtowards and dedication to music from thepresent day. Why do you believe that artistssuch as yourself need to provide suchcommitment to contemporary music?

An artist has an obligation to be of-the-time inwhich he or she lives. Thus, for me not to conductmusic written by my contemporaries would be anabrogation of duty! Music is a living art, not ahistorical display in a museum. I also approacholder music in a similar manner, trying to presenta fresh-minted reading of well-known repertoire.Always respecting the composer’s intentions andtrying to find the essence of a work as seen throughmy eyes and ears today!

The music of Edward Elgar has formed animportant part of your conducting career.When and how did you first discover his musicand who (or what) have been the strongestinfluences on you in terms of yourinterpretations of his music?

My early musical experiences were as a memberof a pretty good brass band, and the music of Elgarcertainly featured in the band’s performances. Notonly arrangements of the well known shorter works,but also his one original piece for brass band, TheSevern Suite. Many of the composers of brassband original works were heavily influenced byElgar, both harmonically and melodically – Eric Ballin particular – therefore, I was saturated in theElgarian idiom, albeit by a somewhat circuitous,second-hand sort of way! In terms of myinterpretations of Elgar, I rely on my instincts plusa surgically precise knowledge of the scores. Boult,Barbirolli and Elgar himself though, have given mea lot of guidance in their recorded legacies, butthe scores themselves reveal so much to theconductor. They are littered with useful instructions,carefully graded dynamic and tempo indications,and the most appropriate orchestrations I know.Very, very few composers so perfectly notate theirsounding intentions.

The 150 anniversary of Elgar’s birth offers anew opportunity to address the importanceof Elgar both in terms of British music andmore broadly in terms of Western Romanticmusic. Where do you regard his position asbeing and how do you rate his influence today– inside the UK and outside it?

There are composers in the history of music whohave exerted a strong influence over those thatfollow. These are usually composers of greatoriginality whose music is above all innovative andgroundbreaking. Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky andSchoenberg could be in this category. The musicof Elgar falls into another category. That is not tosay that his music has not exerted a profoundinfluence on many succeeding composers, but,that his creative personality was not one concernedwith pushing the boundaries of the language ofmusic. Elgar did though explore ways and meansof expression within a defined harmonic, melodicand structural musical world that was entirelypersonal and original. He did make original soundsand create unforgettably beautiful melodies. Elgar’smusic is full of surprises. Harmonic twists, melodicdistortions, leitmotivic subtleties, new instrumentalcolours, emotional challenge. So much to explore,so many details to unravel – even excluding hisprivate life!! – that I think only in the most caringperformances does the real essence of the originalityof Elgar have a chance to really register withlisteners.

The First Symphony was written by an Elgarmature in years, yet still full of creativeenergy. Do you think that he was successfulin portraying the emotions that he was aimingto achieve?

Composers today generally emerge on to ‘thescene’ in their 20s. The musical world does displaya rather excessive devotion to youth, and theglamour and energy that goes with artists of tenderyears. Elgar, writing his First Symphony at age 52,and achieving his first major successes only in his40s, would today be a rarity indeed. More’s thepity some may say! Elgar served a long and fruitfulmusical apprenticeship. During his formative yearscertainly his thoughts turned to the challenges ofsymphonic writing. Thus when the time andopportunity arrived Elgar was sure-footed in howhe wanted to proceed. The First Symphony is

by Mark Wiggins