This new Elgar recording brings together some of Cahndos' finest exclusive British artists for the first time. The Doric String Quartet - highly praised for its series of Haydn and Schubert quartets - joins the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Edward Gardner in the "Introduction and Allegro", one of Elgar's masterpieces. Gardner here captures the subtle contrast between the solo quartet and the string ensemble, while also reconciling a wide variety of musical ideas and tempo fluctuations, not least the ever-popular "Welsh" solo viola melody. The full Orchestra then appears in a passionate account of the majestic Symphony No. 1, a much-loved work ever since its premiere in 1906. As well as highly praised Walton and Britten recordings, the enduring relationship between Edward Gardner and the BBC Symphony Orchestra has seen successful series of works by non-British composers such as Szymanowski and Lutoslawski. Edward Gardner is also involved in recording projects with many other orchestras, including the Bergen Philharmonic, the DBSO, and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, his latest collaboration.
