London Symphony Orchestra the composer conducted, the rest of the programme was conducted by Coates, who overran his rehearsal time at the expense of Elgar's. Lady Elgar wrote, "that brutal selfish ill-mannered bounder ... that brute Coates went on rehearsing." In "The Observer" Newman wrote, "There have been rumours about during the week of inadequate rehearsal. Whatever the explanation, the sad fact remains that never, in all probability, has so great an orchestra made so lamentable an exhibition of itself." Coates remained as chief conductor for two seasons, and after the initial debacle is credited by Morrison with "breathing life and energy into
London Symphony Orchestra which was unique at that time". Since then, according to the orchestra's website, the LSO has made more recordings than any other orchestra, a claim endorsed by "Gramophone" magazine. In 1920 the LSO signed a three-year contract with the Columbia Graphophone Company and what Jolly calls "a magnificent series of recordings" followed. Under Felix Weingartner the orchestra recorded Mozart (Symphony No 39), Beethoven (the Fifth, Seventh and Eighth Symphonies) and Brahms's First. Other recordings from this period included the premiere recording of Holst's "The Planets", conducted by the composer, and Richard Strauss's "Don Juan", "Ein Heldenleben" and "Tod und Verklärung",