Vernon Handley's 1986 and 1989 recordings of Grieg with the
Ulster Orchestra were not particularly well regarded in their time. But then, most of
Handley's recordings were not particularly well regarded in their time. But, then, their time was the early years of digital, the years when hard, glassy, and very loud sound was king. Even in
Handley's best performances of the period -- one thinks immediately of his
Vaughan Williams' Sixth and
Elgar Symphony No. 2 -- one had to listen through the sound to get to the performances beneath. But the sheer physical effort involved in listening through hard, glassy, and very loud sound made any victory Pyrrhic.
In this splendidly remastered 24-bit recording,
Handley and the
Ulster's performances are granted clear, clean, and very, very loud sound. The clear and clean part only helps one hear how really beautiful
Handley's performances were. What was once hard is now rich and full and what was once glassy is now brilliant and voluptuous.
Handley's interpretations are old-school British with stiff-upper-lip-but-a-tear-in-the-eye performances; imagine a less emotional
Barbirolli or an ever-so-slightly more emotional
Boult. All of it is grand: the British have always revered Grieg's robust sentimentality and
Handley and the
Ulster proudly uphold the tradition.