Edward Elgar’s first symphony, dated from 1908, was written during the same fertile composing period as his violin concerto, currently under the spotlights again thanks to Renaud Capuçon and Simon Rattle. The symphony was a tremendous success through Britain, and marked the crowning achievement of Elgar’s career. This splendid remastered version by John Barbirolli with the Philharmonia orchestra beautifully renders the nobility of this majestic score, a landmark in the history of British symphony.