Sir Edward Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 - Nigel Kennedy / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vernon Handley

Edward Elgar (Composer), Vernon Handley (Conductor), London Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Nigel Kennedy (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Nigel Kennedy
• Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Vernon Handley
• Composer: Edward Elgar
• Audio CD (November 26, 1991)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000002S2A
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #128,039 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Consistently fine realization, December 18, 2005

By	Paul Bubny "Paul Bubny" (Maplewood, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

From back in the days when The Artist Now Known As Kennedy still used his first name, this 1984 performance of Elgar's lengthy, difficult and microdetailed concerto for violin and orchestra is a more consistent rendition than the violinist's 1990s remake with Sir Simon Rattle conducting. Actually, I'd go so far as to call this CD special. In the later recording, Kennedy may seem to "take more chances" and thus somehow penetrate more deeply into the score, but it all just seems more messy by comparison to this; moreover, Vernon Handley has a surer command of Elgar's idiom than Rattle (who is, in my view, as overrated by the British press as Handley is underrated). The violinist's intonation is not always perfect, particularly in the lengthy cadenza of the third movement, but his level of concentration is--paradoxically, most especially in that cadenza. The early-digital, slightly distant recording has held up well; you need to boost the volume a tad to bring it into focus, however. The 54-minute span of this performance is all the CD contains, but in this case it's quality over quantity.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than his later recording with Rattle, March 4, 2000

By	J Scott Morrison (Middlebury VT, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The line is maintained much better in this earlier recording by Nigel (as was) Kennedy, and his accompanist, Vernon Handley. This performance of the middle movement is one of the loveliest thing I know, bar none.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elgar At His Best!!!, March 17, 1999

By A Customer

The Kennedy/Rattle recording is very good, however, in my view this older performance is preferable (by a slim margin). You really cannot go wrong with either one.