Symphonien Nr.1 & 2

The Second Symphony, by contrast, with its deeply personal "Pilgrimage of a Soul", was initially received rather cautiously. However, it came into its own after the end of the First World War, when the tone of remembrance and tribute possibly reflected the national mood, and is now recognized as one of Elgar's finest works.

The digital release of the symphonies is accompanied by a bonus track featuring Colin Matthews' arrangement of Elgar's partsong The Prince of Sleep (1925). Matthews gave the arrangement to Mark Elder as a gift for the conductor's 70th birthday in 2017 and as a tribute to Elder's "many magnificent Elgar performances". It also reflects what Matthews describes as "a remarkable privilege to have watched the Hallé develop over more than twenty years and to see how it has evolved under Mark into one of the finest orchestras, not only in the United Kingdom but in the whole world".