Elgar: Cello Concerto Op.85, Sea Pictures Op.37, Cockaigne Overture

The Elgar Cello Concerto and cellist Jacqueline du Pre are inextricably linked and this 1965 EMI recording of du Pre with John Barbirolli and the London Symphony Orchestra is the first great recoding of the work the ill-fated artist was to make. Barbirolli's invitation for the 21-year-old du Pre to perform the concerto thrust her into the international spotlight and remains one of her most cherished recordings. No one could ever fault du Pre for a lack of drama or intensity. Some would even say that these characteristics are overly exaggerated in her playing. But this performance breathes such passion, such nuance, and such yearning into the concerto that it quickly elevated it into one of his most recognizable compositions. Few have come close to the power of the du Pre's first movement, the nimble sprightliness of the second, the emotional impact of the third, or the nobility of the finale. Du Pre was not the only one making history with Barbirolli. The young mezzo-soprano Janet Baker also joined Barbirolli in 1965 for an equally sublime performance of Elgar's Op. 37 Sea Pictures. Baker's voice here is unbelievably controlled and pure, her diction is wonderfully clear, and the word painting achieved both with her own voice as well as the assistance from the orchestra completely mesmerizing. Though both of these recordings have been reissued many times, they continue to be standards against which all subsequent attempts are compared.