Elgar: Cello Concerto & Sea Pictures

This release is famous as one of the triumphs of Jacqueline du Pré’s all-too-short career. Her featured performance on the Elgar Cello Concerto is a master class in how to brood without losing momentum. There’s always a songlike quality to her tone, even when she brings out the grain in her instrument’s sound. John Barbirolli’s conducting keeps everything in balance. And the addition of Elgar’s Sea Pictures, with Janet Baker singing, makes this a top recommendation among all-Elgar sets.