Seduction Enigma

George Hurst with the Bournemouth orchestra inspires richly expressive playing, full of subtle rubato which consistently sounds natural and idiomatic, never self-conscious. Like Elgar himself, he tends to press ahead rather than linger, as in the great climactic variation in Enigma", Nimrod, as well as in the finale and in the overture, In the South". The Coronation March also inspires an opulent, red-blooded performance, and the recording throughout is rich and sumptuous.

Che’Z Enrique Collins (born January 1, 1990), known as The Enigma TNG, is an American music composer and YouTuber. Before becoming “The Enigma TNG,” Che’Z created older original tracks as a young teen. Gaining inspiration from artists such as Skrillex, Deadmau5, The Birthday Massacre and many others, he began creating his tracks in FL Studio.

Royal PO's performance is outstanding in many ways. Menuhin has deep understanding of Elgar's music and its innermost yearning. Every movement displays his genuine affinity with the inspiration and characterisation of the music. Tempi are perfectly judged throughout, the famous 9th variation Nimrod, for example, is neither too fast nor too slow, achieving maximum grandeur and dramatic effect without losing forward momentum. The fast variations are bursting with energy and verve, the slow variations are played with amazing subtlely and heart warming intimacy. The additional organ in the last variation amplifies the scale of the monumental finale.

Barbirolli made later recordings of all the works on this CD and these have become cornerstones of the catalogue. These are earlier recordings that he did with his own orchestra, the Halle, in the 1950s. To start with, the recording quality is pretty amazing. They were recorded on 35mm film tape rather than half inch recording tape by the Mercury team and have astonishing immediacy and amazingly lifelike. Barbirolli uses an organ in the finale of the Enigma Variations. The recording is a little bass heavy but this is a small caveat. For people who consider Barbirolli to be a bit indulgent as a conductor, these recordings may come as a surprise. The performances are very direct and nicely flowing. They therefore complement rather than compete with the later recordings. Of course, Barbirolli's later recording of the Cello Concerto with Jacqueline du Pre is a very famous and special rendition of the work. However, it is not without its detractors. Andre Navarra, by contrast, plays with golden tone. He plays gorgeously. Highly recommended.

Highly successful worldbeat dance project headed by Michael Cretu that broke through with the international hit "Sadeness" in 1991.
A worldbeat dance fixture of the late 20th century and beyond, having sold tens of millions of albums worldwide, Enigma were an instant success with their unlikely combination of new age tones, chilled-out club production, and samples of Gregorian chant. The project arrived with their single "Sadeness (Pt. I)," which immediately became an international hit and the calling card for their unique sound. Over the next three decades, Enigma would release upwards of eight albums and collections, many of which spent time in the Billboard charts.