Talking about his Symphony No 2, Elgar said “it was absolutely correct to say the whole thing represents the ‘passionate pilgrimage’ of a soul”. There’s a terrible struggle in the grand opening movement, lurching back and forth between soaring, whooping melody and poetic introspection. Vasily Petrenko displayed a perceptive understanding for Elgar in his disc with the RLPO of Symphony No 1. Here again, flexibility of tempi, contrasts between lyricism and angst, are brought out with expansive yet controlled playing: the horns and, in the melancholy Larghetto, the woodwind especially. Strings are firm and refined throughout. The Rondo opening dances. Three short pieces, Carissima, Mina and Chanson de Matin Op 15/2 are a welcome bonus.
