Elgar Froissart, The Music Makers

‘[Elder] goes to the heart of the music and takes his orchestra and the superb choir with him.’ The Sunday Telegraph ‘Another superb memento of the magic Mark Elder has been weaving up in Manchester.’ Gramophone

"The other three performances are excellent, too. In his interview elsewhere in this issue, Elder praises the personal character of his players—and what’s most striking here, I’d say, is the frequent chamber-music give-and-take, the individual distinctiveness of the solo lines that nonetheless always contributes to a coherent, larger whole. At the same time, the disc is notable for Elder’s recognition of the special idiom of each piece. Not only does the exuberance oiFroissart stand out against the intimacy of Dream Children (well positioned as a palate-cleanser between the Overture and the choral main course), but it also—in its lean textures and light rhythms—provides a knowing counterpoint to the Bach transcription, placed as a dessert after The Music Makers and served up without apology for its high-calorie excess. Fine sound, too. All in all, a first-rate addition to the catalog." Peter J. Rabinowitz, Fanfare