Elder's Elgar

Mark Elder leads the Hallé Orchestra in an Elgar orchestral extravaganza, and Schiff has a stab at the renowned cello concerto

Composer: Elgar
Repertoire: Orchestral works, Cello Concerto et al.
Artists: Heinrich Schiff (cello), Hallé Orchestra/Mark Elder
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Orchestral
Label: Hallé CD HLL 7505

Under Mark Elder’s musical direction and well-chosen repetoire, the orchestra mines a rich seam of warmth and colour. Their reading of Elgar is always sensitive, but never cloying. Falstaff’s boldness is writ large here, and bassoon player Elgar does his old instrument proud in the Romance. Heinrich Schiff’s muscular performance is too bullish against the orchestra’s delicate emotive balance, and disappoints. But reformed smokers will love Elgar’s last puff Cantata!