Aeolian String Quartet / Leonard Cassini play... Elgar. Piano Quintet ... Bax. Legend - Delta/Revolution 1963

Sir Edward Elgar:  Piano Quintet in A minor, op.84
I: Moderato - Allegro  ~  II: Adagio  ~  III: Moderato - Allegro       
Sir Arnold Bax:  Legend  (for Viola and Piano)            
2 files zip FLAC   Mega Download
The Aeolian String Quartet  with  Leonard Cassini,  piano  
(Sydney Humphreys  &  Raymond Keenlyside, violins - Watson Forbes, viola - Derek Simpson, 'cello)
Revolution  RCB 8   STEREO  1970 CBS UK pressing/matrices: REVB 8x -3E / REVB 8y -2E.  Originally: mono Delta  DEL 12024      NOT ON CD 
Slight de-click (1.4) + slight added treble. The performance of the Quintet is mostly quite gentle/subdued...the Bax(music) is pretty ghastly!!  

The sound is very 'dead' and rather 'smoothed'.... not to the standard of these original 1960's stereo LP's >>>      Sleeve-note / Hi-Fi News + EMG reviews >>>

Aeolian Quartet play Vaughan Williams / Elgar Quartets (Summit 1965) >>>         Aeolian Qt / Loveday / Cassini - Elgar String Qt & Violin Sonata (Concert Artist 1966) >>>    

Sir Thomas Beecham conducts... Elgar -&- German - CBS 1954/EMI 1956

Sir Edward Elgar:  Variations on an original theme, "Enigma", op.36             
Philips  SBR 6224  (10" -1957 reissue). Matrices: AA 06686 1R -8 / 2R -9   Rec: 26/27 Nov.1954 - Walthamstow Town Hall (+ 13/14 Dec.1954)

Sir Edward German:  "Gipsy suite" - Four characteristic dances:                   
Valse melancholique (Lonely Life) ~ Allegro di Bravura (The Dance) ~ Menuetto (Love Duet) ~ Tarantella (The Revel)
HMV  ALP 1983   First edition 1963 LP/matrix: 2XEA 2164 -1N.  Recorded: 1956
2 files zip WAV Mega Download
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra  conducted by  Sir Thomas Beecham, Bart.    
An 'HISTORICAL' Request... Had intended including SBR 6225 (Str.Ser./Cockaigne) but the former may not be suitable to transfer due to some surface noise (the performance is pretty bad).. Much of this 'Enigma' isn't to my taste - the Faure-like languorous drawl is quite enervating. Presumably EMI used a stereo tape for the CD issue of the 'Gipsy Suite'.   
Elgar: 1955 EMG review / 1975 CBS sleeve-note / HMV sleeve >>>    Extra!  "Beecham in Rehearsal" -Book CD/EMI: 10 track mono FLAC 7-zipfolder: Mega Download

George Weldon conducts... Elgar. In the South -&- Sea Pictures ... Handel. Water -&- Fireworks music - EMI 1954/1960

G.F. Handel: arr. Hamilton Harty    "Water Music" - suite   /   "Royal Fireworks" - suite     2 files zip FLAC Mega Download
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra  conducted by  George Weldon  
HMV  XLP 20033.  mono matrices: 2XEA 1976 -4N / 2XEA 1977 -2N      Recorded: 1960. EMI Studio 1, Abbey Road

Sir Edward Elgar:
"Sea Pictures", op.37  -  (Gladys Ripley, Contralto)  
"In the South" (Alassio), op.50  
HMV  XLP 30008. (Columbia 33SX 1028)   1962 pressing/matrices: XAX 526 -3N / XAX 527 -3N 

G.F. Handel, arr. Elgar:  Overture in D  (Chandos Anthem No. 2)
G.F. Handel: "Solomon" -  Sinfonia; Arrival of the Queen of Sheba / Occasional oratorio - March**
Columbia  SED 5516    1958 pressing/matrices: 7TCA215 -3N / 7TCA216 -2N       4 files zip FLAC  Mega Download 
London Symphony Orchestra  conducted by  George Weldon    Recorded: 19/26 February 1954 - EMI Studio 1, Abbey Road. (**29 October 1953)  

SED 5516 scan / sleeve-notes / info >>>

Elgar. Symphony 2 - Halle / Barbirolli - HMV 1954

Sir Edward Elgar:  
Symphony no.2 in E flat, op.63     
Side 1.   I:  Allegro vivace e nobilemente  ~  II:  Largetto    //   Side 2.  III:  Rondo (Presto)  ~  IV:  Moderato e maestoso.            
The Hallé Orchestra  conducted by  Sir John Barbirolli                2 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
HMV  ALP 1242  1962 pressing. Matrices: 2XEA 645 -6N / 2XEA 646 -6N.    Recorded: 8-9 June 1954 - Free Trade Hall, Manchester
Funfair: "...the ultimate showcase for Pristine, whose raison d’être is Ultimate Sound Quality....Sound is remarkable.."    No Kidding, Barnaby Rayfield....and it becomes 'Remarkable' with the added treble-fizz/hazy reverb - not to mention indistinct/discoloured woodwind??
Compare the woodwind from 2'40" of  Mr Pristine's mvt.3 sample     Even a MusicWeb reviewer noticed the 'glassiness'..
Based on the superiority of the 1977 John Barbirolli Society RVW Sym 7 (SJB100 - PYE mastered/pressing) compared to the HMV ALP - then their 1978? reissue of this might provide a better 'source'..  (Boult's 1944 BBC SO recording is on  HISTORICAL)
1957 EMG review >>>    November 2015: slightly declicked (1.2) + very slight treble EQ added 

Malcolm Sargent / BBC Symphony Orchestra - Tallis Fantasia / Wand of Youth suite 2 - HMV 1953

Ralph Vaughan Williams:
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis    
Sir Edward Elgar:      
"Wand of Youth", Suite no.2, op.1b      
March ~ The Little Bells ~ Moths & Butterfles ~ Fountain Dance ~ The Tame Bears ~ The Wild Bears   
2 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
BBC Symphony Orchestra  conducted by  Sir Malcolm Sargent   
HMV  BLP 1019  (10" LP)  1958 pressing/matrices: 0XEA 294 -2N / 0XEA 295 -3N    Recorded: 27 November + 23 October 1952 - BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale
October 2021 re-edited (again)     NOT ON CD        Sleeve-note >>>