Elgar’s In the South theoretically evokes sunny Italy, but the best performances seem to come from less-than-sunny Scotland, if this excellent version and Alexander Gibson’s reference recording are anything to go by. Brabbins and his orchestra capture the music’s epic sweep with supreme confidence, the brass boldly proclaiming the principal theme, the strings answering with dashing assurance. The march section inspired by Elgar’s view of the Roman aqueducts, a bit slower than usual, has a massive power that contrasts beautifully with the gentle, “moonlight” interlude. It’s just a terrific performance of a glorious work.
The Enigma Variations are pretty glorious too, if perhaps less distinctive if only because the music has been so well served on disc. Brabbins has no agenda: this is just supple, intelligent, expressive conducting, with each succeeding variation following in natural progression. I like the uninhibitedly rambunctious Troyte and G.R.S, the perfectly paced Nimrod, and the way that the organ gains in power as the finale progresses. The concluding pages offer a truly grand climax and summation of the entire work (the sonics throughout are top-notch).
As for the couplings, Carillon, Un voix dans le désert, and Le drapeau belge are wartime works designed to support Belgian independence. They are scored for narrator and orchestra (the text in French), here powerfully intoned by Florence Daguerre de Hureaux. I personally loathe music combined with a spoken text, but all three pieces are deeply felt and you may feel differently. “Pleading” is a brief song transcription for clarinet and orchestra–it’s nice, but ephemeral. On the whole, a first rate release.
