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In July 1997, after a five-year self-imposed exile from the world of classical music, Nigel Kennedy--now known simply as Kennedy--returned to the scene of one of his earlier triumphs with this incident-packed account of the Elgar concerto. It's a reading that, in the first two movements, at least, displays a bristling temperament, rapt ardor, and go-for-broke spontaneity rare in a studio recording. In the opening Allegro, Kennedy's superbly commanding first entry as well as his ravishing handling of the "Windflower" second subject movingly recall Albert Sammons's miraculous 1929 recording with Sir Henry Wood (and there can be no higher praise than that). Oddly, the finale is not quite on the same level, being somewhat too brusque and calculated for comfort (Kennedy's playing in the exquisite cadenza was more moving in his earlier recording with Vernon Handley). Overall, though, it's a thrilling display, brimming with charisma and imaginative insight. Kennedy and Rattle's incredibly leisurely, self-consciously luxuriant way with
The Lark Ascending (one of Vaughan Williams's most sublimely evocative nature poems) will probably not be everyone's cup of tea, but their performance of the Elgar simply must be experienced.
--Andrew Achenbach
Product Description
In July 1997, after a five-year self-imposed exile from the world of classical music, Nigel Kennedy returned to the scene of one of his earlier triumphs with this incident-packed account of the Elgar concerto. It's a reading which, in the first two movements at least, displays a bristling temperament, rapt ardour and go-for-broke spontaneity rare in a studio recording. In the opening
Allegro, Kennedy's superbly commanding first entry as well as his ravishing handling of the "Windflower" second subject movingly recall Albert Sammons's miraculous 1929 recording with Sir Henry Wood (and there can be no higher praise than that!). Oddly, the finale is not quite on the same level, being somewhat too brusque and calculated for comfort (Kennedy's playing in the exquisite cadenza was more moving in his earlier recording with Vernon Handley). Overall, though, it's a thrilling display, brimming with charisma and imaginative insight. Kennedy and Rattle's incredibly leisurely, self-consciously luxuriant way with
The Lark Ascending (one of Vaughan Williams's most sublimely evocative nature-poems) will probably not be everyone's cup of tea, but their performance of the Elgar just has to be experienced.
--Andrew Achenbach
