"History might be said to repeat itself in these utterly splendid American performances of Elgar and Vaughan Williams, with Michael Stern adopting an utterly persuasive approach to this music, stressing (if anything) its internationalism. What makes the disc particularly cherishable is the typically luxurious 24-bit sound quality afforded by Prof Johnson, the éminence grise of Reference Recordings..." — Barry Forshaw
"Any new recording on the ‘Reference Recordings’ label is something of a special event for Hi-Fi buffs, and this latest is no exception....Michael Stern and the Kansas Symphony have already given us a splendid account of works by Benjamin Britten (RR 120) and continue the British theme with this disc of music by two of the most popular and pre-eminent English composers – Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar...a tranquil and beguiling account of the popular ‘Fantasia on “Greensleeves” notable for the sumptuous strings of the Kansas Symphony and Michael Gordon’s limpid flute playing. A finely nuanced account of Elgar’s ‘Enigma Variations’ completes the programme. Stern characterises each Variation with great skill...the eloquent cello playing in Variation XII (B.G.N.) and the superb room-shaking organ in the Finale makes this a performance and recording to relish." — Graham Williams
Labels: Classical CD Choice, Elgar and Vaughan Williams, Kansas City Symphony, Review