Always a superbly dashing Elgarian, Sir Georg Solti directs electrifying performances of both symphonies. Clearly modelled on the composer's own recordings (essential listening and available on Volume 1 of EMI's exemplary Elgar Edition), Solti's combustible readings generate heaps of passion and excitement, yet rarely at the expense of either structural cohesion (the Second Symphony's finale reaches a truly overwhelming climax) or wistful intimacy (both slow movements unfold with a rapt tenderness rarely encountered in the studio). With the London Philharmonic at their virtuoso, pliant best, these are performances to rank alongside the most satisfying ever, and Decca's impeccably balanced and glowingly rich engineering continues to serve up a real feast for the ears. Punters in search of something a little less headlong can confidently invest in rival (and identically priced) twofers from either Sir Andrew Davis (Teldec Ultima) or Bernard Haitink (EMI Forte). By the way, Solti's fillers are excellent, too: Cockaigne goes with both delectable point and swagger, while In the South fairly surges along to its unashamedly grandiloquent apotheosis. --Andrew Achenbach