89.00 PLN

2 CD:

Nr kat.: CDHLD7534
Label  : Nimbus Records

"Elder's dramatic sense of the whole structure and of the significance of every detail made it all thrillingly compelling... the choral sound was truly imposing." --The Guardian "Elder judged its solemn and mystical tone perfectly, conducting with ebb and flow and finding an arresting, dramatic urgency in places. Thanks also to excellent choral singing, the radiant glow of the climax was overwhelming." --Daily Telegraph "It was thrilling to experience the mingling of solos, two or three, or a dozen or so voices, with the Mystic Chorus formed by the massive and resonant Hallé Choir and the fresh-voiced Hallé Youth Choir. The culmination of the work and, indeed, every stage of it, was superbly paced and managed by Elder and his orchestra." --The Times This superb Apostles is a mandatory purchase for all Elgar enthusiasts. The Hallé plays magnificently. Elder has developed this orchestra into a top-rank ensemble and currently it is as good as any I know when it comes to Elgar. The Hallé need fear no comparison. There is a sheen to their sound and the ensemble is wonderfully flexible. In the loud passages there is great power, though with no suggestion of forcing the tone, but what really grabbed my attention time after time was the sensitivity that they bring to quiet passages. Elgar was a glorious orchestrator who was at the height of his powers in the period that saw the composition of The Apostles. Elder and his splendid orchestra bring out all the colour, richness and inventiveness in this score. At the end of the day the triumph is Mark Elders. He is a marvellous Elgar conductor, as he has already proved many times. The score abounds with minute tempo modifications and observance of these is essential if the vital ebb and flow in an Elgar score is to be captured. Elder is masterly at this. Nothing escapes his attention but, more than that, he makes these tempo modifications, many of which are tricky and last only a bar or so, seem absolutely natural. However, the success of the performance is not just a matter of minutiae. Elder has a wonderful feel for the sweep of the work and his extensive operatic experience is surely crucial in putting the score across. Much of Apostles is essentially reflective but dramatic thrust is vital also and Elder is convincing throughout and in every respect. I felt that Elder s tempo selection was convincing throughout the oratorio. The new recording was made under performance conditions and engineer Steve Portnoi and his team have achieved excellent results. Their recording offers a satisfying concert hall perspective and balance; there is just enough distance and ambience but lots of detail emerges without any suggestion of performers being put under the microscope. The soloists are expertly balanced. This superb Apostles is a mandatory purchase for all Elgar enthusiasts. --John Quinn, Recording of the Month, MusicWeb-international.com "It was thrilling to experience the mingling of solos, two or three, or a dozen or so voices, with the Mystic Chorus formed by the massive and resonant Hallé Choir and the fresh-voiced Hallé Youth Choir. The culmination of the work and, indeed, every stage of it, was superbly paced and managed by Elder and his orchestra." --The Times "It was thrilling to experience the mingling of solos, two or three, or a dozen or so voices, with the Mystic Chorus formed by the massive and resonant Hallé Choir and the fresh-voiced Hallé Youth Choir. The culmination of the work and, indeed, every stage of it, was superbly paced and managed by Elder and his orchestra." --The Times Sir Mark Elders thrillingly commited and magisterially paced account of Elgars The Apostles with his Halle forces is a benchmark achievement for all involved. --Andrew Achenbachs Critics Choice 2012, Gramophone Magazine "It was thrilling to experience the mingling of solos, two or three, or a dozen or so voices, with the Mystic Chorus formed by the massive and resonant Hallé Choir and the fresh-voiced Hallé Youth Choir. The culmination of the work and, indeed, every stage of it, was superbly paced and managed by Elder and his orchestra." --The Times