These would appear to be studio takes, at mid price, rather than the LSO-style live recordings at budget price.

More detailed info to be found here: http://www.halle.co.uk/publishedSite/products.asp

As well as three excerpts (in Mini/Micro/Macro/Whatevermedia Flash).

As with its website, the Hallé gives these CDs a qualification. Well-placed adjectives abound on the Hallé website, and these CDs fit the overall image. Using a design reminiscent of the Halle's webpages.

BREATHTAKINGHALLÉ (do forgive the all caps, but that's what the CDs use.)
Includes Elgar's Symphony no. 1, In the South (Alassio), In Moonlight (Canto Popolare).
Runs some 76 minutes. All studio recordings.

INSPIRINGHALLÉ
Includes Elgar's Enigma Variations (a live recording), Serenade for String Orchestra, Cockaigne (In London Town), Chanson de Matin, and the world premiere recording of of the original Finale to the Enigma Variations. The Enigma variations are live. All the rest is studio. 67 minutes.

THRILLINGHALLÉ
And thrilling it is: Nielsen's Symphony no 5, Flute Concerto, Entrance March from "Aladdin".
Again all studio, 60 minutes.

All three albums produced by Andrew Keener, and engineered by Simon Eadon.
Conducted by Mark Elder.

In all three a few things are constant: the warm and pleasant sonics, which offer great detail at no expense of warmth, high dynamic range.

The Hallé's playing is superb, but even more interesting is the Hallé Orchestra's beautiful sound. They play in a united, continuous and fluid manner which just flows through the music, with none of the sometimes rugged transitions of other orchestras. The coherence of the ensemble is stunning (musicians of Prague take note) with musicians entering and exiting their parts in smooth perfectly timed fashion.
The playing is lush and polished. The strings in particular boast a sensual velvety sound. Speaking of which, Keener and Eadon have managed to catch those double-basses which so often get burried in the mix.

The booklet includes notes in English, French and German.

The CDs are of the 'enhancedCD' type. Though the enhanced part only includes a link to three mini-sites at the main Hallé website.

The mini-sites offer interesting comments from producer Andrew Keener regarding the recording sessions. They also offer downloadable *.pdf files of the recent concert programmes in which these works were played. More interesting perhaps are archival documents: old programming notes from the original performances in the early 20th Century, news paper excerpts, archived advertisements, a list of the players for a concert conducted by Elgar...

More CDs are expected within this year, and soon there should also be archival recordings from the Hallé's past.

and 2) http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2003/May03/Elgar1_elder.htm

quote:

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Every bar oozed with classy vitality, while each section of the orchestra was first-rate yet keeping its profile within an irresistible blend.
[...]
The Hallé worked together intuitively in one single, perfect voice.

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The single, perfect voice; the sectional separation; the irresistible blend... all characteristics to be enjoyed from the Hallé CDs. I still marvel at how perfect the interaction between the players is. This isn't about a bunch of people gathered in a room playing their parts to a common beat. It is as if they all shared the same heart and the same brain... So much so, that I begin to wonder if studio editing has anything to do with it.

In any case, the Hallé Orchestra can now be enjoyed on two more CDs.

PASSIONATEHALLÉ: English Rhapsody - Delius, Butterworth and Grainger

George Butterworth: A Shropshire Lad | Two English Idylls | The Banks of Green Willow

Frederick Delius: Irmelin: Prelude | The Walk to the Paradise Garden | Brigg Fair: An English Rhapsody

Percy Grainger: Brigg Fair

Traditional: Brigg Fair

Most of these compositions are based on folk tunes, or were inspired by the folk repertoire.
Buttwerworth (1885-1916) died too young. The Shropshire Lad rhapsody is a lovely pastoral piece. It is peaceful, relaxing... perfect for a summer stroll in a quiet countryside. The English Idylls are more joyful and upbeat. The Banks of the Green Willow is here given a more interesting performance than Hickox and the LSO. Again, it is a warm, tranquil piece where the softer orchestral colours predominate, and any harshness is avoided.

The Delius pieces have their moments, though they require repeated listens. Irmelin is based on Scandinavian tales, but sounds more Brit than anything else. It is a slow, reflective piece dominated by winds and strings. The Walk is generally in the same mood as the rest: winds, strings, pastoral images, a musical painting of a calm landscape.

Grainger transcribed a traditional piece called Brigg Fair. Delius loved it and asked permission to use it. He wrote a 17-minute rhapsody. Mostly strings and winds again, though the brass make a more forceful appearance towards the end. Beware the big percussion hits in the finale.

The Grainger transcription is for tenor and chorus. Good, if a little on the pompous side.

As with all Hallé CDs, this one has an EnhancedCD portion. The interactive content includes links to special pages on the Hallé website. There one finds a note on the recording sessions from the producer, Andrew Keener, as well as reproductions of the original concert programmes from past Hallé performances of these works.
There is also an extended history of how Brigg Fair came to the attention of Grainger, then Delius, and the reaction of the farmer who sang the song to Grainger upon hearing his tune translated to an orchestral setting.
Though most of the disc has been engineered by Phil Rowlands (as opposed to Simon Eadon who engineered all the other Hallé discs), the sound is very similar to the other albums in this series. There is a lush, open feeling about the sonics. Excellent orchestral separation, and often exemplary dynamic range, allowing for big climaxes.

SPARKLINGHALLÉ
Sleigh Ride, Angels from the Realms of Glory, Nativity Carol, Silver Bells, The World You're Coming Into, The First Nowell, Joy to the World, Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, The Most Wonderful Birthday of All, Jingle Bells, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Waltz of the Snowflakes from The Nutcracker, White Christmas.

Carl Davis conducts Christmas classics. He and the Hallé are joined by the Hallé Choir (choral director: James Burton) and soprano Claire Rutter. There are traditional songs, a good number of 19th century carols and anthems, as well as more recent pieces (by McCartney, Berlin, others).

Sleigh Ride is given a more pastoral feel than the Williams/Boston Pops version. This Davis/Hallé reading is less about Christmastime celebration, as it is about a joyful wintery setting. Silver Bells has a poetic classical feel to it. Morton Gould's arrangement of The First Nowell starts off calmly with a dramatic string tone before gaining additional orchestral layers and a more festive mood.

Joy to the World is the best classical arrangement I've heard so far. Orchestra and chorus truly sound as if they feel the music and mean the lyrics. This uplifting version could easily fit alongside the best recordings of the finale from Beethoven's Ninth.

Carol of the bells incorporates bits and pieces from other Christmas tunes (We three kinds, Joy to the World, others) in between the bell's carol. O Holy Night is on the serene side with Rutter joined by the choir. I prefer it more soulful, with more emotion. But this version is growing on me.
A Carl Davis tune, The Most Wonderful Birthday of All, is also included. It's in his usual style, slow and touching.

Jingle Bells is more of an orchestra showcase than it is a Christmas jingle. The winds open the piece, brass take over, and plucked strings continue before a more triumphant brass fanfare, and soaring strings finish off the piece. Through it all, the Hallé musicians show splendid timing.
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas is a little gloomy. Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Snowflakes from The Nutcracker could use a few more strings (all sections), but it's given a happy and tender reading, which fits more with Christmas than Tchaikovsky. Finally White Christmas closes the show.
56 minutes have gone by too soon. Perhaps it's better this way - the album does not overstay its welcome.
In his notes, producer Andrew Keener states that the choir was placed behind Carl Davis, both conductor and chorus facing the orchestra. This being partly the result of a smaller studio. Whatever the case, the choir is perfectly recorded. It is perfectly balanced within itself. All parts of the chorus can be heard, with none louder than they should be. If only all choirs were recorded this way...

So far, I find that the Hallé CDs are superior to the other orchestra-run record labels. Presentation is good (if not as luxurious as the San Francisco booklets). The EnhancedCD portion is good value added. The studio sound is excellent. The price is right (iclassics is selling the discs for 13.99$, Amazon for about 12$)
Good price, good quality.

Sixth instalment in the Hallé Orchestra's own-label series.
Shostakovich: Symphony no 1
Shostakovich: Symphony no 6
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

This is from a different source than the first releases. The initial batch of Hallé titles were new recordings produced by Andrew Keener, and mostly engineered by Simon Eadon. The sound vas very particular, very bright to some extent, with a very light tone to the strings.

This title was produced by John Boyden and engineered by Richard Millard. It sounds as clear and crisp as the Keener/Eadon discs, but it has a more traditional, less bright tone to the strings and brass. It was recorded in November 1996 & November 1997.

Skrowaczewski of course is considered a Shostakovich specialist and his readings here are as good as the best of them.
This Hallé Orchestra was Kent Nagano's band (from 1991 till 2000). It is somewhat different from the later Mark Elder version of the orchestra. The same chamber-like quality exists here, and the same perfection in playing. But Nagano's Hallé sounds bolder, more secure, less obsessed by beauty of tone and more interested in the music.