Jacqueline du Pré · Daniel Barenboim ~ Elgar (Pomp and Circumstance · Cello Concerto · Enigma Variations)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Du Pré's EMI recording of the concerto with Barbirolli is rightly treasured for its emotional power, but it's almost buttoned-down alongside this controversial live concert performance made five years later in Philadelphia. Here, she plays with extraordinary rhythmic freedom, pushing the emotional content of the score to its outer limits. This is one of those rare recordings in which you sense a spiritual merger between composer and performer, revealing inner meanings few can perceive from the notes on the page. Partnering this exciting performance is Barenboim's excellent reading of the Enigma Variations, one of the finest in the catalog. Tempos are spacious enough to allow for much telling detail, with enough forward thrust to keep the Elgarian juices flowing. Each variation is given its own character, and the whole is suffused with warmth and authority. --Dan Davis

Tracks:

Pomp and Circumstance Marches, Op. 39: No.1 in D Major
Pomp and Circumstance Marches, Op. 39: No. 4 in G Major
Cello Concerto, Op. 85: I Adagio
Cello Concerto, Op. 85: II Lento
Cello Concerto, Op. 85: III Adiago
Cello Concerto, Op. 85: IV Allegro
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Theme
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. I (C.A.E.) L'istesso tempo
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. II (H.D.S.-P.) Allegro
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. III (R.B.T.) Allegretto
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. IV (W.M.B.) Allegro di molto
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. V (R.P.A.) Moderato
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. VI (Ysobel) Andantino
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. VII (Troyte) Presto
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. VIII (W.N.) Allegretto
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. IX (Nimrod) Adagio
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. X Intermezzo (Dorabella) Allegretto
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. XI (G.R.S.) Allegro di molto
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. XII (B.G.N.) Andante
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. XIII Romanza (***) Moderato
Variations on an Original Them, Op. 36 'Enigma': Var. XIV Finale (E.D.U.) Allegro-Presto

Amazon.com

Du Pré's EMI recording of the concerto with Barbirolli is rightly treasured for its emotional power, but it's almost buttoned-down alongside this controversial live concert performance made five years later in Philadelphia. Here, she plays with extraordinary rhythmic freedom, pushing the emotional content of the score to its outer limits. This is one of those rare recordings in which you sense a spiritual merger between composer and performer, revealing inner meanings few can perceive from the notes on the page. Partnering this exciting performance is Barenboim's excellent reading of the Enigma Variations, one of the finest in the catalog. Tempos are spacious enough to allow for much telling detail, with enough forward thrust to keep the Elgarian juices flowing. Each variation is given its own character, and the whole is suffused with warmth and authority. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Spellbinding Elgar from Du Pre, Barenboim.......2004-05-01

Although Jacqueline Du Pre's live performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim is a mesmerizing, exhilirating performance, it is nonetheless one of the worst live recordings I have heard, especially given the excellent quality of 1970's sound recording. Indeed, the mixing of the orchestra and the soloist is so inadequate, that it is as though you are hearing mainly Du Pre, not her in tandem with the orchestra. I strongly wonder why Sony decided to reissue this, unless it was to gain some advantage from recent interest in her career, most notably the film "Hilary and Jackie". On the other hand, Barenboim's inspired account of the Enigma Variations, performed by the London Philharmonic, is nearly as memorable as Gardiner's recent Deutsche Grammophon recording with the Vienna Philharmonic. This CD will probably be primarily of historical interest, appealing mostly to those interested in Jacqueline Du Pre and her marriage to Daniel Barenboim.

Good, but not du Pré.......2004-01-23

I've heard far better recordings of Jackie and the Elgar concerto. This recording was okay, but it's kind of a forshadow of Jackie's MS. It was good, but not that great. Jackie has a wide vibrato, way too many glissandos, and a wavering tone here and there. It's very difficult to follow Jackie because she's slowing the tempo quite frequently. The Enigma variations were awesome, of course. The essence of Daniel Barenboim is all over here. I listen to that sometimes when I go to bed. But if you want a great recording of the Elgar concerto, pick up "Lasting Impressions" or "Hilary and Jackie" soundtrack. Jackie's Elgar concerto does sound far better on those albums.

A Forced Decision?.......2003-12-26

The quality of this recording is not the best. In the solo sections of the Elgar Concerto, du Pre's sound comes across beautifully. However, in the grand orchestral tuttis, the recording becomes scratchy and weak, taking away of a lot of the oomph that Elgar wrote into this piece. Furthermore, as the concerto was recorded live, we also get the standard audience coughs and so on. Unfortunately, the other pieces on the CD sound almost listening to the wafting sound of an orchestra a couple of blocks away. While the orchestra clearly played the pieces very articulately, they still come across indistinct and distorted.

Given all that, du Pre does an excellent rendition of the concerto, and if you want to hear her, you're forced to live with the lackluster recording quality. However, I did not find the interpretations of these other works (performed without du Pre) to be especially brilliant, and I wouldn't recommend the disc for their sakes. If you don't mind the almost record era sound quality, you'll love this disc. However, there are other recordings available of du Pre performing the Elgar concerto packaged with other concertos, and if your primary interest in this disc is du Pre, I would suggest purchasing one of them instead of this recording.

Funny Sounding.......2001-02-20

While I admit that the playing of Du Pre on this recording is superb, the quality of the recording isn't very good. Having been recorded in the 70's one would expect a much more true sound that what is delivered. In their mastering, I am not sure what Sony did, but there is very little presence and spaciousness. One almost feels like the orchestra and soloist were recorded in a little room, yet this was recorded live with an audience (you can hear people coughing). On top of that certain instruments in the orchestra sound like they were recorded in the 50's. If you've heard recordings such as Kubelik's Dvorak Symphonies from the 50's and are familiar with how the tympani sound on that, you'll hear that same wierd tympani sound in a recording almost 20 years later. I've never heard a work that sounded like this from the 70's and therefore the work as a whole is disappointing.

However, that doesn't mean that the whole CD is bad. Actually the Pomp & Circumstance Marches are great and the Enigma Variations is a fine recording.

Intensely passionate - a must for every collector!.......2000-09-28

This recording of the Elgar is the 2nd version made by du Pre, from 1970. It is one of the most intense readings one will ever hear. Whereas in her first recording, she fully captures the longing mood of the piece by weeping through her cello, in this recording she pierces the listener's heart by bluntly crying out what Elgar wanted to say so desperately:"It is over". I have myself sometimes been reduced to tears, as the emotional weight of this recording is too much to bear at times. It is a very highly strung recording, with maximum support from the Philadelphia Orchestra, who play with great inspiration (no doubt du Pre had a huge effect on the orchestra!). She used her then-new Peresson cello, which seems to match her iiiiiintense playing fully. One can hear some imperfections in some passages, loss of tone etc (could these have been an early signs of MS approaching?), but they are hardly noticeable. The recording quality is not the best, but it does not detract the musical quality in any way. If you do not have this recording yet, then I suggest you buy one as a matter of urgent priority. Buy it!

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Together in Concert: John Farnham & Tom Jones [Live] [Import]

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3

Blues on the Bayou

The Trumpet Sounds

Entertainment Weekly: The Greatest Hits 1980-1984 [Box set]

All Music Guide: Motown Memories [Enhanced]

Barbara Cook's Broadway! [Live]

Beethoven: String Quartet No11; String Quartet No15

Banco [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Bach: The Italian Connection, Transcriptions of Music by Corelli, Legrenzi, Vivaldi

Blue Haze

Bailar con el Chupacabras

20 Exitos Romanticos

Nice & Slow

Djangology