Sir Edward Elgar would have been 150 in June this year, and something more of a prodigy at that age than even he had been in life.

We all know Elgar’s popular classics, of course, Nimrod from the Enigma Variations, Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 — Land of Hope and Glory — and a rash of wonderfully melodic, string-based compositions that recall Edwardian England like no other. When asked if he used folk music in his work, he repied, “Madam, I write the folk tunes of England”. And so he did.

Yet he accomplished much more than that. The German conductor, Hans Richter, said of his First symphony, “It is the greatest symphony of modern times, and not just in this country [England] either.” Richter premiered it, as well as the Enigma Variations and his oratorio, The Dream of Gerontius.

Although quintessentially English, Elgar’s music was firmly rooted in the Austro-German Romantic tradition. His poor background prevented him from studying in Leipzig. He did, though, get to Bayreuth in 1892 where he experienced the first performance of Wagner’s greatest achievement, Parsifal. He saw it twice and Der Meistersinger four times. Needless to say, he became a passionate Wagnerian for the rest of his life.

Classy Classical will be covering this event throughout this year, including a hoped-for serialization of Steve Newman’s play on Elgar.

To celebrate Elgar’s 150th, the UK’s Daily Mail is offering an Elgar Edition of five CDs with Mark Elder conducting the Halle Orchestra. Works included are :

1. First Symphony; In the South.
2. Enigma Variations; Serenade for Strings; Cockaigne (In London Town).
3. Falstaff; Cello Concerto; Romance; The Smoking Cantata.
4. Second Symphony; Introduction and Allegro for Strings.
5. Froissart; Dream Children; The Music Makers.

Unusually, there’s no website for purchases, but you can ring : +44 (0)1634 832789. The price in sterling is £44.95 ($88).

That excellent music critic David Mellor, has compiled a list of his top 10 classical CDs of 2006. I thought it would be worthwhile taking a look at them:

1. La Clemenza Di Tito, the Mozart opera, is favoured in two recordings, both excellent : the first by Sir Charles Mackerras, the other by Rene Jacobs.

2. Also by Mozart and conducted by Mackerras is the recital Tutto Mozart.

3. Best reissue is (again) Mozart’s Complete Piano Concertos by Murray Perahia.

4. Best instrumental is Stephen Hough’s Spanish Album, which is “a real connoisseur’s choice”.

5. Best Concerto is Vivaldi’s Violin Concertos, which presents five that have never been heard before, played by violinist, Giuliano Carmignola.

6. Best historical is Jascha Heifetz’s 1930’s recording of the Sibelius concerto, conducted Sir Thomas Beecham.

7. Best orchestral is Richard Strauss’s Alpine Symphony with Polish maestro Anthony Wit.

8. Best chamber is Martha Argerich And Friends with music from the 2005 Lugano Festival, including two Rachmaninov masterpieces.

9. A special award goes to label Lyrita, pioneers of off-the-beaten-track recordings of British music.

10. CD of the Year goes to the 1955 Bayreuth Ring, issued for the first time in four sets by Testament, and originally recorded by Decca.

A splendid top 10 indeed.

A British newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, has listed the top ten opera albums “you must own”, as compiled by Eugene Costello.

Apart from #1, there’s no indication of the version or artists involved, so it’s a rather thin exercise. Nevertheless, for what it’s worth here is the list, with my own modifications:

1. The Ring Wagner. Version: Sir Georg Solti [Excellent choice]
2. La Traviata Verdi.
3. La Boheme Puccini.
4. Madame Butterfly Puccini.
5. Carmen Bizet.
6. Don Giovanni Mozart.
7. Peter Grimes Britten.
8. The Barber of Seville Rossini.
9. The Marriage of Figaro Mozart.
10. Rigoletto Verdi.

Well, there you have it, a goodly list. But I would leave out Peter Grimes and The Barber of Seville and promote Tosca by Puccini, and Fidelio by Beethoven.

But, above all, I would include my favourite opera of all: Wagner’s Parsival, which, in my view, tops anything in range, except maybe Puccini at his very best.

And I would also find room for Richard Strauss’s masterpiece, Der Rosenkavalier, which rather makes a mess of Costello’s efforts.

It’s all a matter of taste, of course. What’s your top ten operas?

Placido Domingo may have reached the veteran stage in his career, but he’s still capable of producing a great performance. This new CD set from DG taken from performances at the Vienna Staatsoper last June proves that.

Some Wagner purists may scoff at his German pronunciation, but so what? He’s still a class act, probably the best acting tenor in opera. Here, the Vienna State Opera is conducted by Christian Thielemann.

David Mellor remarks: “For Thielemann, this is something of a triumph. Long held as the savior of German conducting, he has performed fitfully, the mantle of Karajan wholly eluding him … now, as he nears his 50th birthday, he is finally becoming the real deal.”

If, like me, Parsifal is your favorite opera, this four-CD set will be high on your wanted list.

Check out the price: In North America. In the UK.