Vasily Petrenko’s exploration of Elgar’s passionate Second Symphony is simultaneously woozy and refined. Strings weave to and fro in never-ending melody, while woodwinds delicately thread through rich brass harmonies. The work’s “Rondo” is a vast, thundering fantasy, with strings blasting through complex lines at break-neck speed.
- Hallé, London Symphony Orchestra & Sir John Barbirolli
- London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra & The Cleveland Orchestra
- Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Adni & Kenneth Alwyn
- Vladimir Ashkenazy & Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
- Eugene Ormandy & The Philadelphia Orchestra