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SOMM Recordings

Elgar: From the Archives, Vol. 1

$20.99

Details

Composer
Edward Elgar
Artist
Marjorie Hayward, Una Bourne, The London String Quartet, Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
Format
CD
Label
SOMM Recordings
Released
Jan 16, 2026
Catalog #
ARIADNE 5046
UPC
758871504621

About

January 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of The Elgar Society, which has, since the late 1990s, offered it's invaluable support to SOMM Recordings for new and archival releases of Elgar's works. In celebration, SOMM is releasing this month Vol. 1 of Edward Elgar from the Archives. The release offers "acoustic" recordings of Elgar's Enigma Variations conducted by the composer in 1920 and by Sir Henry Wood in 1924. Also included-abridged, in order to fit onto the original disc sides-is a 1919 recording of Elgar's Violin Sonata featuring the virtuoso, Marjorie Hayward, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, and the Australian pianist, Una Mabel Bourne. The London String Quartet, founded in 1908, is featured in an abridged version of Elgar's String Quartet, which they recorded in 1921. Elgar's recording of the Enigma Variations, the Violin Sonata, and the String Quartet are all remastered premiere recordings. Before the microphone made it's appearance in 1926, and revolutionized the technicalities of the recording industry through "electrical" recordings, musical performances were captured by "acoustic" recordings. Jutting from the wall in front of the players was a recording horn that was wound in tape to attenuate the "tinny" sound and reduce vibration. On the other side of the wall was a diaphragm, which transmitted the vibrations captured by the horn to a stylus positioned via a gimbal mechanism over the wax disc to be cut. The recordings on this release demonstrate the skill of the forgotten engineers from that era and show how they learnt by experience. Their skill has been realized for modern ears by the musician and master recording engineer of historic reissues, Lani Spahr, whose Elgar Remastered [SOMMCD 261-4] was described as a "vivid new transfer" by Gramophone Magazine when it was named their Historical Choice for Elgar's Symphony No. 1. Elgar and Richard Strauss were the first major composers to take the recording of their music seriously, and the Enigma Variations was Elgar's most substantial piece in his ten years of making recordings. This present performance with the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra was recorded at the HMV Studio, London, in three sessions: February and November 1920 and May 1921. Four years later, Sir Henry Wood conducted the New Queen's Hall Orchestra for Columbia. These two "acoustic" recordings, which bookend the Violin Sonata and the String Quartet on this release, offer a fascinating comparison. Wood's interpretation is marginally quicker overall and, as Lani Spahr points out, "the two orchestras sound to be about the same size but the balances are different and more forward in the Wood. Recording techniques had improved greatly in the four years between the Elgar sessions and when Wood recorded his Elgar set."

Tracklist 36 tracks

  1. 1 Theme: Andante 01:25
    Track
    1
    Title
    Theme: Andante
    Duration
    01:25
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  2. 2 Introduction - Variation 1: C. A. E. (The Composer's Wife) - 01:53
    Track
    2
    Title
    Introduction - Variation 1: C. A. E. (The Composer's Wife) -
    Duration
    01:53
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  3. 3 Variation 2: H. D. S-P. (Hew David Steuart-Powell) - 00:41
    Track
    3
    Title
    Variation 2: H. D. S-P. (Hew David Steuart-Powell) -
    Duration
    00:41
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  4. 4 Variation 3: R. B. T. (Richard Baxter Townshend) - 01:18
    Track
    4
    Title
    Variation 3: R. B. T. (Richard Baxter Townshend) -
    Duration
    01:18
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  5. 5 Variation 4: W. M. B. (William Meath Baker) - 00:32
    Track
    5
    Title
    Variation 4: W. M. B. (William Meath Baker) -
    Duration
    00:32
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  6. 6 Variation 5: R. P. A. (Richard Penrose Arnold) 02:01
    Track
    6
    Title
    Variation 5: R. P. A. (Richard Penrose Arnold)
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  7. 7 Variation 6: Ysobel (Isabel Fitton) - 01:24
    Track
    7
    Title
    Variation 6: Ysobel (Isabel Fitton) -
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  8. 8 Variation 7: Troyte (Troyte Griffith) - 00:59
    Track
    8
    Title
    Variation 7: Troyte (Troyte Griffith) -
    Duration
    00:59
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  9. 9 Variation 8: W. N. (Winifred Norbury) - 01:34
    Track
    9
    Title
    Variation 8: W. N. (Winifred Norbury) -
    Duration
    01:34
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  10. 10 Variation 9: Nimrod (A. J. Jaeger) - 01:52
    Track
    10
    Title
    Variation 9: Nimrod (A. J. Jaeger) -
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  11. 11 Variation 10: Intermezzo: Dorabella (Dora Penny) - 02:20
    Track
    11
    Title
    Variation 10: Intermezzo: Dorabella (Dora Penny) -
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  12. 12 Variation 11: G. R. S. (George Robertson Sinclair) - 00:50
    Track
    12
    Title
    Variation 11: G. R. S. (George Robertson Sinclair) -
    Duration
    00:50
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  13. 13 Variation 12: B. G. N. (Basil G. Nevinson) - 02:38
    Track
    13
    Title
    Variation 12: B. G. N. (Basil G. Nevinson) -
    Duration
    02:38
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  14. 14 Variation 13: Romanza: *** (Lady Mary Lygon) - 02:21
    Track
    14
    Title
    Variation 13: Romanza: *** (Lady Mary Lygon) -
    Duration
    02:21
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  15. 15 Variation 14: Finale: E. D. U. (The Composer) 04:46
    Track
    15
    Title
    Variation 14: Finale: E. D. U. (The Composer)
    Duration
    04:46
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Edward Elgar
  16. 16 I. Allegro: Risoluto (excerpt) 04:06
    Track
    16
    Title
    I. Allegro: Risoluto (excerpt)
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Performer
    Marjorie Hayward, Una Mabel Bourne
  17. 17 II. Romance: Andante (excerpt) 04:11
    Track
    17
    Title
    II. Romance: Andante (excerpt)
    Duration
    04:11
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Performer
    Marjorie Hayward, Una Mabel Bourne
  18. 18 III. Allegro non troppo 08:03
    Track
    18
    Title
    III. Allegro non troppo
    Duration
    08:03
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Performer
    Marjorie Hayward, Una Mabel Bourne
  19. 19 I. Allegro moderato (excerpt) 04:28
    Track
    19
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato (excerpt)
    Duration
    04:28
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    London String Quartet
  20. 20 II. Piacevole (poco andante) (excerpt) 03:16
    Track
    20
    Title
    II. Piacevole (poco andante) (excerpt)
    Duration
    03:16
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    London String Quartet
  21. 21 III. Allegro molto (excerpt) 03:20
    Track
    21
    Title
    III. Allegro molto (excerpt)
    Duration
    03:20
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    London String Quartet
  22. 22 Theme: Andante 01:01
    Track
    22
    Title
    Theme: Andante
    Duration
    01:01
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  23. 23 Introduction - Variation 1: C. A. E. (The Composer's Wife) - 01:17
    Track
    23
    Title
    Introduction - Variation 1: C. A. E. (The Composer's Wife) -
    Duration
    01:17
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  24. 24 Variation 2: H. D. S-P. (Hew David Steuart-Powell) - 00:41
    Track
    24
    Title
    Variation 2: H. D. S-P. (Hew David Steuart-Powell) -
    Duration
    00:41
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  25. 25 Variation 3: R. B. T. (Richard Baxter Townshend) - 00:45
    Track
    25
    Title
    Variation 3: R. B. T. (Richard Baxter Townshend) -
    Duration
    00:45
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  26. 26 Variation 4: W. M. B. (William Meath Baker) - 00:28
    Track
    26
    Title
    Variation 4: W. M. B. (William Meath Baker) -
    Duration
    00:28
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  27. 27 Variation 5: R. P. A. (Richard Penrose Arnold) 01:44
    Track
    27
    Title
    Variation 5: R. P. A. (Richard Penrose Arnold)
    Duration
    01:44
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  28. 28 Variation 6: Ysobel (Isabel Fitton) - 01:10
    Track
    28
    Title
    Variation 6: Ysobel (Isabel Fitton) -
    Duration
    01:10
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  29. 29 Variation 7: Troyte (Troyte Griffith) - 00:59
    Track
    29
    Title
    Variation 7: Troyte (Troyte Griffith) -
    Duration
    00:59
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  30. 30 Variation 8: W. N. (Winifred Norbury) - 01:25
    Track
    30
    Title
    Variation 8: W. N. (Winifred Norbury) -
    Duration
    01:25
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  31. 31 Variation 9: Nimrod (A. J. Jaeger) - 02:29
    Track
    31
    Title
    Variation 9: Nimrod (A. J. Jaeger) -
    Duration
    02:29
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  32. 32 Variation 10: Intermezzo: Dorabella (Dora Penny) - 02:24
    Track
    32
    Title
    Variation 10: Intermezzo: Dorabella (Dora Penny) -
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  33. 33 Variation 11: G. R. S. (George Robertson Sinclair) - 00:55
    Track
    33
    Title
    Variation 11: G. R. S. (George Robertson Sinclair) -
    Duration
    00:55
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  34. 34 Variation 12: B. G. N. (Basil G. Nevinson) - 02:20
    Track
    34
    Title
    Variation 12: B. G. N. (Basil G. Nevinson) -
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  35. 35 Variation 13: Romanza: *** (Lady Mary Lygon) - 02:15
    Track
    35
    Title
    Variation 13: Romanza: *** (Lady Mary Lygon) -
    Duration
    02:15
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood
  36. 36 Variation 14: Finale: E. D. U. (The Composer) 04:35
    Track
    36
    Title
    Variation 14: Finale: E. D. U. (The Composer)
    Duration
    04:35
    Composer
    Edward Elgar
    Ensemble
    New Queen's Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Henry Wood