Album

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.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1
Edvard Grieg Composer Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46 Work Recorded 1986 14:20 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Vernon Handley Conductor
1	1.Morgenstemning (Morning Mood)	4:12			$0.99
2	2.Aases død (The Death of Åse)	4:05			$0.99
3	3.Anitras dans (Anitra's Dance)	3:44			$0.99
4	4.Dovregubbens hall (In the Hall of the Mountain King)	2:19			$0.99
Edvard Grieg Composer Peer Gynt Suite No.2, Op.55 Work Recorded 1989 16:37 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Vernon Handley Conductor
5	1.The Abduction: Ingrid's Lament	4:26			$0.99
6	2.Arabian Dance	4:29			$0.99
7	3.Peer Gynt's Homecoming	2:58			$0.99
8	4.Solveig's Song	4:44			$0.99
Edvard Grieg Composer Lyric Suite (orchestration of Op.54) Work Recorded 1986 15:18 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Vernon Handley Conductor
9	1.Shepherd's Boy	3:57			$0.99
10	2.Norwegian March	3:31			$0.99
11	3.Nocture	4:25			$0.99
12	4.March of the Dwarfs	3:25			$0.99
Edvard Grieg Composer Piano Concerto in A-, Op.16 Work Recorded 1986 31:13 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Vernon Handley Conductor, Margaret Fingerhut Piano
13	1.Allegro molto moderato	13:15			$2.49
14	2.Adagio	7:15			$1.49
15	3.Allegro marcato	10:43			$1.99