Elgar's Piano Quintet live

[Rach3]

Sir Edward Elgar’s Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84, live a few days ago in England, Nash Ensemble :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00013x3 ( " Embers of War " program )

Been way too long since my last hearing ; wow.Recommended.

[jbuck919]

So many neglected composers. I've heard two stories about why Brahms refused to accept an honorary degree from Oxford (or was it Cambridge?) One is that he was easily rendered sea sick. The other was that he stated that England was country without music. That was true in his time. There had not been an important English composer since Purcell. So guess which of the two stories I believe.

The YouTube starts with the first movement of a piano trio by the nearly unknown John Ireland. It is excellent. It could be an incomplete work, or the makers of the video may just be claiming that it is the whole thing. Your friendly neighborhood hymnologist here, but Ireland also set one of the great hymns. You might think that modern congregations would not know it or get it, but in fact in serious churches it is a great favorite. I played it myself just a few Sundays ago, singing along, for I have long had the nearly poetic words in memory.

https://www.google.com/search?q=my+song ... irefox-b-1

[Rach3]

The YouTube starts with the first movement of a piano trio by the nearly unknown John Ireland.

Thanks for the suggestion on Ireland.On the BBC program I linked is Ireland's Piano Trio # 2 in E minor. I've heard only the Elgar work on that program so far. Ireland also wrote an interesting Piano Concerto, which I have on a Chandos cd I should also revisit. IMHO,there are a great number of excellent English and /or Irish and/or Scottish composers, among them Elgar, Ireland,Howells,Bridge,Bowen,Moeran,Vaughan Williams,Britten,Stanford,Finzi.

[maestrob]

Rach3, thanks for that. Before I listen, here's my favorite version of the Quintet, played to perfection by Peter Donohue and the Maggini Quartet.....

[Rach3]

Rach3, thanks for that. Before I listen, here's my favorite version of the Quintet, played to perfection by Peter Donohue and the Maggini Quartet.....

I have on my I-Tunes an historical recording, listened to again today, but did not record by which artists !! Need one in modern sound so your recommendation welcome, thanks ! Donohue is usually excellent as is the Maggini.And at Naxos prices !

If I get just one Elgar, it would be his Cello Concerto. If two, that Concerto and his Piano Quintet.

Listening right now to a 1927 recording of the Franck Piano Quintet by Alfred Cortot and the " International String Quartet " . Tres bien !

[Rach3]

A recent live, listening now:

https://www.nporadio4.nl/concerten/4fc5 ... n-vrienden

dinsdag 08 maart 2022
De Doelen, Jurriaanse Zaal, Rotterdam

Edward Elgar, Piano Quintet, Op.84
Robert Schumann , Piano Quintet,Op.44

Severin von Eckardstein (piano), Alexander Sitkovetsky (viool), Franziska Hölscher (viool), Isabelle van Keulen (altviool), Quirine Viersen (cello)

[maestrob]

A wonderful work. Will give this a try soon.

LATER: Just finished this. A superb concert, thanks. I'm a fan of Sitkovetsky's as well as von Eckardstein, so I'm glad to have heard this.

Warmly recommend this CD if you are a Sitkovetsky follower: