Product DescriptionThis previously unreleased recording was taken from live performances at the 1993 London Proms. At the time, Simon Rattle and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra were on the top of their game and enjoying worldwide celebrity. Even in her late 60's, Ida Haendel's technique was firm. Her connection to the Sibelius concerto in particular was almost legendary, and critics at the time praised her performance with rare unanimity. The Times' critic stated, 'She can claim the composer's approval for her interpretation ... It is still one to compel admiration for its cogency as well as its unimpaired technical assurance.' Haendel first played the Elgar in her teens. Her noted recording of the work for EMI marked one of Adrian Boult's last visits to the studio (Testament SBT 1146).