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Editorial Reviews

To be fair, this double-disc sampler from Warner provides a generous introduction to the music of Edward Elgar, but its program includes too many excerpts to be a fully satisfying survey. One can be grateful that the beloved "Enigma Variations" and the popular "Introduction and Allegro for strings" survived complete, and that several short but famous pieces, such as "Salut d'amour," the "Elegy for strings," and the "Cockaigne Overture," remain intact. But what need is there for the snippet of the opening from the "Cello Concerto," or the brief excerpt of the beginning of the "Overture: In the South," neither of which give more than a taste of their respective works; why include the choral adaptations of "Nimrod" from the "Enigma Variations," and "Land of Hope and Glory" from "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1," while the orchestral originals already appear elsewhere in the package? In the interest of representing Elgar's best-known works, some selectivity would have allowed more time to present, say, a complete performance of the five "Pomp and Circumstance Marches," the full "Serenade in E minor for strings," a movement from the seriously neglected "Violin Concerto in B minor," or at least something more complete than these frustrating filler tracks. Yet aside from the spotty programming, this collection features attractive performances by Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the sound quality is generally even and pleasant, as these selections have been drawn from digital recordings released for the most part in the 1990s by Teldec, Finlandia Records, and Erato Disques. Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

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