John Barbirolli’s posthumous reputation if anything has grown in recent years with the release of numerous live recordings and reissues. It’s easy to understand why: an emotionally generous, extremely “giving” conductor, his best performances have an irresistible spontaneity and warmth. That’s the plus side. On the minus side, he could be very wayward when off his best form, and many of his recordings, even the ones most admired (such as his Mahler Fifth and Ninth), suffer from ensemble lapses that sometimes cross over the line between improvisatory enthusiasm and plain sloppiness. He was a great conductor nevertheless, make no mistake, and if I had to choose a single recording that represents him at his absolute best, it would have to be this one. It has everything: great playing, sumptuous sound (especially as remastered here), and interpretations that are positively elemental in their inevitability, cogency, thrust, and emotional abandon. The performances of the major works (Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro, the Serenade, and Vaughan Williams’ Tallis Fantasia) have never been surpassed and aren’t likely to be anytime soon. This is truly one of the greatest recordings ever made, the ultimate “English music for string orchestra” disc. Buy it. Play it. Love it. [3/30/2000]
