The Variations and Falstaff make a good Elgar coupling, both being picturesque and illustrative as well as providing over an hour's music on CD. Gibson's recording with the SNO has been digitally remastered and now has more 'presence' than in its LP format, though some listeners may be more troubled than I am by the reverberant acoustic. The difference in his approach from Mackerras (EMI) is easily gauged by their tempos. Gibson's Enigma is brisker, less prone to dalliance, a crisp performance in a traditional manner. Mackerras draws out the theme and is generally more expansive. It is an interpretation I admire and the LPO's playing is of higher quality than the SNO's—the start to ''Nimrod'' is sheer magic. In Falstaff, on the other hand, it is Gibson who is broader, while Mackerras follows Elgar's own rather rapid tempos. It is a matter of personal preference and who shall say which is 'right'?'