After hearing Andrew Davis conduct Elgar The Apostles (op 49, 1902-3) at the Barbican (read my review here), I decided to revist its companion piece, The Kingdom op 51 (1901-6). The Kingdom is ideal material for the BBC Proms because it's spectacular and needs a space as grandiose as the Royal Albert Hall. Oddly enough it was last heard at the Proms in 1999, though it's been done 8 times since 1930. Andrew Davis conducted the BBC SO then - it would be interesting to hear him conduct it fifteen years later Mark Elder conducted the most recent recording (2011) of the Kingdom and also of the Apostles (2012), both with the Hallé, already well revered in Elgar's time. All the more reason to be intrigued as to when it will be done again and by whom HUGE GRIN !!!!!!!
Elgar's The Apostles will crown this year's Three Choirs Festival at Worcester, Elgar's home town. The massive computer glitch that hit the box office has been fixed, so it's worth seeing what's left. Please read my summary of the 2014 Three Choirs Festival HERE. I'm a regular devotee.
1 comment:
I have just ordered both of Elder's recordings and look forward to hearing them. Wish I could hear them live, but of course they aren't done much in this country. I am more familiar with Gerontius, which I have sung a couple of times, and heard most recently, although now that I think about it, it must have been 5-6 years ago, in Boston with Heppner, Finley and your own Sarah Connolly, under Sir Colin Davis. Not too shabby.
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