The importance of Elgar’s recorded legacy cannot be overestimated. His first recordings were made in 1914 in the acoustic era, at the apex of his career as a composer. However, it was not until the development of electrical recording in the 1920s, when a life-like realisation of the symphony orchestra became possible, that Elgar’s position as HMV’s most prestigious flagship artist was confirmed. The recordings on this disc, made towards the end of his life, demonstrate the fluency and energy that Elgar brought to his own music.