01. In the South. Concert overture, op.50 'Alassio' [22'40]
02. - 16. Variations on an Original Theme, op.36, 'Enigma' [33'15]
17. Carillon, op.75* [8'30]
18. Une voix dans le désert, op.77*# [11'02]
19. Le drapeau belge, op.79* [3'30]
20. Pleading, op.48^ [2'58]
Florence Dageurre de Hureaux- narrator*, Kate Royal- soprano#, Yann Ghiro- clarinet^, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins
Hyperion CDA68101 (recorded September 2015; issued 2016)
(digital download; 24 bit/96kHz flacs, booklet and cover scans)
Recording venue: City Halls, Candleriggs, Glasgow
Recording engineer: Simon Eadon; Producer: Andrew Keener
These fine performances of the Enigma Variations (Hyperion idiosyncratically give the title as 'Variations for Orchestra' rather than 'Variations on an Original Theme') and In the South were very well received at the time of issue. This release was BBC Music Magazine's recording of the month, The latter is certainly very good but I don't find it quite matching the classic Constantin Silvestri recording with the Bournemouth Symphony nor, even with the recent Vasily Petrenko recording with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. Nevertheless, the Canto popolare section is wonderful,
This Enigma Variations is also excellent but my allegiance to Malcolm Sargent's recording with the Philharmonia, Andrew Davis' Lyrita recording with the New Philharmonia or Pierre Monteux's recording with the London Symphony, is not shaken. As with Monteux, Brabbins' opening of Nimrod is very soft - ppp.
The other four works on the disc are more of an acquired taste. The three patriotic wartime Emile Cammaerts settings for narrator and orchestra are, as with most such works, other than Peter and the Wolf, fairly tedious - especially when the narration is not in your native tongue. Francophones may be more appreciative - but for me, I find the histrionic French narration hard to take and I wish someone like Anthony Payne could work his magic and convert the narration into a vocal line. And I would much rather have had Kate Royal sing the beautiful Pleading rather than this version for clarinet and orchestra.
Download from MEGA.