Zubin Mehta’s “Enigma” rivals the best. Highlights include a luminous “CAE” (the composer’s wife, Alice), a charming Ysobel, a rollicking Troyte, a lofty Nimrod, a delicious Dorabella, a perfectly paced Romanza, and a finale that exudes confidence and grandeur without stuffiness. Much of the credit must go to the excellently balanced recording, especially in that finale. The organ is deftly integrated into the orchestral texture, supporting but never overwhelming the winds, and this prevents an unwelcome “churchiness” from creeping in. Terrific. The Cello Concerto also is good, if not quite at the highest level. Lynn Harrell has a tendency to overpower (or at least over-milk) music that demands a touch of reticence here and there, expecially in the first and third movements, though the fast music is brilliantly played and Lorin Maazel accompanies admirably. Still, this is a fine Elgar compilation, and that “Enigma” really is impressive.
