Early Elgar pretty but dull

Elgar's Complete Songs for Voice and Piano, Vol.2 are pleasant and well performed but there are few surprises

Composer: Elgar
Repertoire: Complete Songs for Voice and Piano, Vol.2
Artists: Amanda Roocroft (soprano), Konrad Jarnot (tenor), Reinild Mees (piano)
Rating:  3/5
Genre: Vocal/Instrumental
Label: Channel Classics CCS SA 28610

While Elgar was still establishing his reputation in his thirties, he published plenty of tuneful songs for quick profit. But even after his musical language had expanded to reach the emotional depths of the ‘Enigma’ Variations and Dream of Gerontius, his song style remained merely parlour-song pretty. Jarnot and Roocroft perform with excellent diction, though the latter’s tone can spread slightly on her top notes. No highs and lows, then, but some pleasant paddling in the shallows.