Ethical Questions

This is an interesting and, by its' nature, controversial cd. Titled Edward Elgar The Sketches for Symphony No 3 Elaborated by Anthony Payne, it raises the ethical question of "completing" works unfinished at the time of a composer's death. There are many examples, Mahler's 10th symphony and Mozart's Requiem spring immediately to mind, but the specific controversy here transcended purely musical considerations since Elgar had specifically requested just prior to his death that the sketches not be "tinkered" with. Without going into great detail, the story is that Anthony Payne became aware of the sketches and worked on them for some time knowing of the family's embargo on them ever being performed or published. They were finally persuaded to change their minds when it became clear that the sketches would be out of copyright by 2005 and so they might as well have the sympathetic treatment of Payne rather than a free for all. As a piece of music, played here by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paul Daniel, it holds together very well to my ears but I don't have the musicological knowledge to get into the intricacies of how faithful it is to Elgar's intentions, how much is Elgar and how much is Payne etc. It does seem to have taken on a performing life of its' own but how long lasting that life will be once the novelty wears off remains to be seen.