Elgar’s introduction and allegro for strings was written in 1905 for the brand new London Symphony Orchestra. It is a showpiece, where the lead in the melody passes around the orchestra, to show the virtuosity of each individual player.
Maybe more interesting is the last piece of this record, three dances from the Suite from the Spanish lady. The Spanish lady is Elgar’s only opera, left unfinished after his death in 1934. The suite is arranged from sketches by Elgar himself, by musicologist Anthony Payne. Payne was working on a reconstruction of Elgar’s third symphony when he also created this, in 1970. This recording is from 1968 however, and is probably a version created by Neville Marriner himself, with added parts from research done in the 50s by musicologist Percy Young.