Edward Gardner, the conductor on this album, was named Conductor of the Year by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2008 and received an OBE for Services to Music in 2012.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded using 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which offers a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.
Compositional Technique
The second movement of Elgar's Symphony No. 2 features oboe arabesques that act as a countersubject to the funeral march, conveying private grief amidst a public spectacle.
Critical Reception
At its 1911 premiere, Elgar's Symphony No. 2 received a muted audience response, leading Elgar to remark, 'Henry, they don't like it, they don't like it' to Sir Henry Wood.
Composer Biography
The Serenade for Strings, a product of Elgar's youth, was initially rejected for publication by Novello, who deemed 'this class of music is practically unsaleable'.
Composition History
Elgar's Symphony No. 2 had a long gestation, with sketches beginning in 1903-04, but the majority of the full score was completed in just two months in early 1911.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Elgar described his Symphony No. 2 as 'the passionate pilgrimage of a soul' and considered it, along with his Violin Concerto and The Music Makers, to be works where he 'shewn myself'.
