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Sir John Barbirolli heads the Hallé Orchestra in programme of English composers Edward Elgar and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Edward Elgar composed his "Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36", popularly known as the "Enigma Variations", between October 1898 and February 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme. Elgar dedicated the work "to my friends pictured within", each variation being a musical sketch of one of his circle of close acquaintances. Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on "Greensleeves" (1934), based on the "Greensleeves" melody, is actually an arrangement by Ralph Greaves (1889–1966) of an orchestral interlude from Vaughan Williams' 1928 opera Sir John in Love; the fantasia also incorporates the folk song "Lovely Joan" as its middle section. Warner Classics releases this stunning recording as part of a brand new series, The Complete Warner Recordings. Spanning over 40 years, these recordings trace the career of Sir John Barbirolli, a conductor of proverbial warmth and generosity, a transformative force in British music and a legendary figure who collaborated with the greatest artists of his time. Shortly before his death in 1970 he completed a Sibelius cycle with the Hallé Orchestra, whose fortunes he had steered for nearly three decades, and among other composers closely linked with his name are Elgar, Delius, Brahms, Mozart, Mahler and Puccini. The wide-ranging contents of this landmark set, which comprises all the recordings Barbirolli made for HMV and PYE. Everything has been remastered in high definition, LP-era recordings from the original tapes, and 78-era recordings from the best available sources.