01. - 05. Sea Pictures, op.37* [22'33]
06. Polonia, op.76 [13'16]
07. - 11. Pomp and Circumstance Marches, op.39 [28'24]
Alice Coote- mezzo*; Halle Orchestra conducted by Mark Elder
Halle HLL7536 (CD/downloads issued 2015)
(digital download; 24bit/48kHz flacs, cover, inlay and booklet scans)
Recorded at Halle St Peter's, Ancoats Manchester* and BBC Media City Studios, Salford in August 2014*, September 2013 and February 2010
Recording engineers: Steve Portnoi* & Simon Eadon; Producers: Jeremy Hayes* & Andrew Keener
The main work here, the Sea Pictures is given a very fine reading by soloist, conductor and orchestra. For me, Alice Coote and Mark Elder give the only recorded reading that comes close to rivalling the classic Janet Baker and John Barbirolli recording for EMI. (That recording can be found here on MIMIC, also in HD in the comments). This much newer Halle recording is still not at the very top of my collection - but quite close. Coote offers a thrillingly alternative view of the work to Baker's.
The recordings of the curious Polonia and the over-familiar Pomp and Circumstance Marches are also very good with committed readings from Elder, but I do wish that Halle had come up with a more interesting set of fill-ups.
Download from MEGA.