Compare performersEdward Elgar
Elgar, Cello Concerto, finale, in two recordings
Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 — a shared passage from the finale
The 1919 recording with Elgar conducting and the Skidmore recording play the cello’s entry into the finale’s march, marked risoluto.
Recordings in
this comparison
Choose a recording and press Play. Selecting another card continues playback from the matching point in that recording.
Beatrice Harrison and Edward Elgar
Beatrice Harrison, cello; Symphony Orchestra; Edward Elgar, conductor
Harrison made the concerto’s first recording with Elgar conducting; their finale fitted on a single shellac side.
Skidmore College Orchestra
Skidmore plays the finale complete, including the cello’s late lament and the return of the concerto’s opening.
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Each strip shows changes in volume within one recording.
At Hayes on 22 December 1919, Beatrice Harrison recorded Elgar’s finale with the composer conducting. The whole concerto was recorded on four shellac sides. The comparison with Skidmore’s complete finale covers a short passage, the point at which the cello joins the march, marked risoluto — resolute.
Tempo map
Time taken compared with Skidmore College Orchestra: above 1×, the performer takes longer over the same music; below it, less time.
- Beatrice Harrison and Edward Elgar, 1919
- Skidmore College Orchestra · reference
Passages compared
Each version plays in card order, for up to 12 seconds of reference music or until the next marked passage, whichever comes first.
- 01
Solo entry with the march theme
1:25 in the referenceThe soloist takes up the brisk tune, marked risoluto. The tune is set with accents and short rests.
- 02
Crescendo to accented high notes
1:38 in the referenceThe cello rises through a crescendo to sharply accented high notes. The orchestra plays while the soloist rests.
- 03
Solo and orchestra alternate
1:51 in the referenceShort solo phrases alternate with orchestral replies. The cello’s running notes carry the march forward between its clipped accents.
Length of each recording
- Beatrice Harrison and Edward Elgar, 191915:52
- Skidmore College Orchestra11:33
These times include the lead-in and final fade. Cuts, repeats and disc-side breaks also affect a recording’s length.
Recording notes
Beatrice Harrison and Edward Elgar, 1919
Harrison made the concerto’s first recording with Elgar conducting; their finale fitted on a single shellac side.
Beatrice Harrison, cello; Symphony Orchestra; Edward Elgar, conductor
22 December 1919 and 16 November 1920
Skidmore College Orchestra
Skidmore plays the finale complete, including the cello’s late lament and the return of the concerto’s opening.
Skidmore College Orchestra; cellist and conductor uncredited
Listening notes & recording detailsOriginal recording source ↗Further reading
- Harrison/Elgar: sessions, first issues, cuts and transfer pitch correction
- HMV D545 finale label: Harrison, Symphony Orchestra and Elgar
- Skidmore/Musopen finale: attribution and recording release
- Acoustic abridgement distinguished from the complete 1928 recording
- Elgar, Cello Concerto — Novello solo part, finale, rehearsals 44–46
- Frank Beck, Elgar Society — the finale’s march, late soliloquy and returning opening
How the recordings are matched
The matching follows sequences of pitches, using a method called dynamic time warping. Every recording is mapped to the reference, so switching between two versions goes through that shared clock. Where several reference times match one point, the middle time is used.
- Beatrice Harrison and Edward Elgar, 1919: match score 0.950. Matched passages available.
Switching stays within the matched span, and trimmed recordings keep their original clock times. Match scores describe similarity in the sound.