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Sir Edward Elgar
Sir Edward Elgar

Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English Romantic composer. The Order of Merit is a British and Commonwealth Order bestowed by the Monarch. The Royal Victorian Order (RVO is a Dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry in the Commonwealth realms Created by Queen Victoria Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Romantic Music is a Musicological term referring to a particular period theory compositional practice and canon in European music history from about 1815 to 1910 A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Several of his first major orchestral works, including the Enigma Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, were greeted with acclaim. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra Op 36 ("Enigma", commonly referred to as the "Enigma" Variations, is a set of a theme and its fourteen The Pomp and Circumstance Marches (full title "Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches" Op He also composed oratorios, chamber music, symphonies, instrumental concertos, and songs. An oratorio is a large Musical composition including an Orchestra, a Choir, and soloists The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the Opera Chamber music is a form of Classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. The term Concerto (plural concertos or concerti) usually refers to a three part musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an Orchestra He was appointed Master of the King's Musick in 1924. Master of the Queen's Music (or Master of the King's Music) is a post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom.

Contents

Biography

Early years

Edward Elgar was born in the small village of Lower Broadheath outside Worcester, England to William Elgar, a piano tuner and music dealer, and his wife Anne (née Greening). Broadheath is a Civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England. Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. The fourth of seven children, Elgar's siblings were Henry John (Harry) (15 October 1848– 5 May 1864), Lucy Ann (born 29 May 1852), Susannah Mary (Pollie) (born 28 December 1854), Frederick Joseph (Jo) (born 28 August 1859), Francis Thomas (Frank) (born 1 October 1861), and Helen Agnes (Dott or Dot) (born 1 January 1864). Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1852 ( MDCCCLII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year [1] His mother, Anne, had converted to Catholicism shortly before Edward's birth, so Edward was baptised and brought up as a Roman Catholic.

Elgar was an early riser, and would often turn to reading Voltaire, Drayton historical classics, Longfellow and other works encouraged by his mother. François-Marie Arouet ( 21 November 1694 30 May 1778) better known by the Pen name Voltaire, was a French By the age of eight, he was taking piano and violin lessons, and would often listen to his father playing organ at St. George's church, and soon took it up also. His prime interest, however, was the violin, and his first written music was for that instrument.

Surrounded by sheet music, instruments, and music textbooks in his father's shop in Worcester's High Street, the young Elgar became self-taught in music theory. Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. On warm summer days, he would take manuscripts into the countryside to study them (he was a passionate and adventurous early cyclist from the age of 5). The bicycle, cycle, or bike is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind Thus there began for him a strong association between music and nature. As he was later to say, "There is music in the air, music all around us, the world is full of it and you simply take as much as you require. "

At the age of 15, Elgar had hoped to go to Leipzig, Germany to study music, but lacking the funds he instead left school and began working for a local solicitor. A "solicitor" is a term used in many Common law jurisdictions for a lawyer who offers legal services outside of the courts Around this time he made his first public appearances as a violinist and organist. After a few months, he left the solicitor and embarked on a musical career, giving piano and violin lessons, and working occasionally in his father's shop. Elgar was an active member of the Worcester Glee Club, along with his father, and he accompanied singers, played violin, composed and arranged works, and even conducted for the first time. A glee club is a Choir, historically of men but also of just women or mixed voices which traditionally specializes in singing short songs At 22 he took up the post of bandmaster at the Worcester and County Lunatic Asylum in Powick, three miles south-west of Worcester, a progressive institution which believed in the recuperative powers of music. The Powick Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located on 46 acres outside the village of Powick, Worcestershire. Powick is a Worcestershire village two miles south of the city of Worcester and four miles north of Great Malvern, close to the River Teme. He composed here too; some of the pieces for the asylum orchestra (music in dance forms) were rediscovered and performed locally in 1996.

In many ways, his years as a young Worcestershire violinist were his happiest. He played in the first violins at the Worcester and Birmingham Festivals, and one great experience was to play Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 6 and Stabat Mater under the composer's baton. Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( (often pronounced in English as; DVOR-zhahk; September 8 1841 – May 1 1904 was a Czech composer of Romantic music, who employed The Symphony No 6 in D major opus 60, was composed by Antonín Dvořák in the very short period from 27 August to 15 October, 1880 Stabat Mater is a thirteenth century Roman Catholic sequence variously attributed to Innocent III and Jacopone da Todi As part of a wind quintet and for his musical friends, he arranged dozens of pieces by Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and other masters, honing his arranging and compositional skills, and applying them to his earliest pieces. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Although somewhat solitary and introspective by nature, Elgar thrived in Worcester's musical circles.

Elgar's Salut d'Amour is one of his most well-known works.
Elgar's Salut d'Amour is one of his most well-known works.

In his first trips abroad in 1880-2, Elgar visited Paris and Leipzig, attended concerts by first rate orchestras, and was exposed to Wagnerism, then the rage. Returning to his more provincial milieu increased his desire for a wider fame. He often went to London in an attempt to get his works published, but this period in his life found him frequently despondent and low on money. He wrote to a friend in April 1884, "My prospects are about as hopeless as ever. . . I am not wanting in energy I think, so sometimes I conclude that 'tis want of ability. . . I have no money--not a cent. " [2]

At 29, through his teaching, he met (Caroline) Alice Roberts, daughter of the late Major-General Sir Henry Roberts and a published author of verse and prose fiction. Eight years older than Elgar, she became his wife three years later against the wishes of her family. They were married on 8 May 1889, at Brompton Oratory. The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is an oratory Oratory_(worship, popularly but incorrectly known as the Brompton Oratory, is a Alice's faith in him and her courage in marrying 'beneath her class' were strongly supportive to his career. She dealt with his mood swings and was a generous musical critic. She was also his business manager and social secretary. She did her best to gain him the attention of influential society, though with limited success. In time he would learn to accept the honours given him, realizing that they mattered more to her and her social class. She also gave up some of her personal aspirations to further his career. In her diary she later admitted, "The care of a genius is enough of a life work for any woman. " [3] As an engagement present, Elgar presented her with the short violin and piano piece Salut d'amour. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member With Alice's encouragement, the Elgars moved to London to be closer to the center of British musical life, and Edward started composing in earnest. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The stay was unsuccessful, however, and they were obliged to return to Great Malvern, where Edward could earn a living teaching and conducting local musical ensembles. Great Malvern is a Town in Worcestershire, England, positioned at the foot and partly on the sides of the Malvern Hills. Though disappointed at the London episode, the return to the country proved better for Elgar's health and as a base of musical inspiration, bringing him closer to nature and to his friends.

Growing reputation

During the 1890s Elgar gradually built up a reputation as a composer, chiefly of works for the great choral festivals of the Midlands. This article is mainly about the English Midlands For other uses see Midlands (disambiguation. The Black Knight and King Olaf (1896), both inspired by Longfellow, The Light of Life and Caractacus were all modestly successful and he obtained a long-standing publisher in Novello and Company. Caratacus ( Brythonic *Caratācos, Greek Καράτακος; variants Latin Caractacus, Greek Καρτάκης He also generously recommended the young composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor to the Three Choirs Festival for a concert piece, which helped establish the younger man's career. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (15 August 1875 &ndash 1 September 1912 was an English composer who achieved such success he was called the "African Mahler " The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held each August alternately at the cathedrals of the Three Counties, ( Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester Elgar was catching the eyes of the prominent critics, although their reviews were still lukewarm, and he was in demand as a festival composer, but he was just getting by financially and not feeling appreciated the way he wanted to be. In 1898, he continued to be "very sick at heart over music" and hoped to find a way to succeed with a larger work. His friend August Jaeger tried to lift his spirits, "A day's attack of the blues. August Jaeger (1860-1909 was an Anglo-German music publisher who developed a close personal relationship with the English composer Edward Elgar. . . will not drive away your desire, your necessity, which is to exercise those creative faculties which a kind providence has given you. Your time of universal recognition will come. "[4]

In 1899, that prediction suddenly came true. At the age of 42, Elgar's produced his first major orchestral work, the Enigma Variations, which was premiered in London under the baton of the eminent German conductor Hans Richter. Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra Op 36 ("Enigma", commonly referred to as the "Enigma" Variations, is a set of a theme and its fourteen WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Hans Richter ( 4 April 1843 in Raab In Elgar's own words, "I have sketched a set of Variations on an original theme. The Variations have amused me because I've labeled them with the nicknames of my particular friends. . . that is to say I've written the variations each one to represent the mood of the 'party' (the person). . . and have written what I think they would have written--if they were asses enough to compose". [5] Elgar dedicated the work "To my friends pictured within".

The large-scale work was received with general acclaim, heralded for its originality, charm, and fine craftsmanship, and it established Elgar as the pre-eminent British composer of his generation. It is formally titled Variations on an Original Theme; the word "Enigma" appears over the first six measures of music, which led to the familiar version of the title. The enigma is that, although there are fourteen variations on the "original theme", the 'enigma' theme, which Elgar said 'runs through and over the whole set' is never heard. Many later commentators have observed that although Elgar is today regarded as a characteristically English composer, his orchestral music and this work in particular share much with the Central European tradition typified at the time by the work of Richard Strauss. Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 &ndash 8 September 1949 was a German Composer of the late Romantic era and early modern era particularly noted Indeed, the Enigma Variations were well-received in Germany, and persist to this day as a world-wide concert favorite.

The following year saw the production at the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival of his choral setting of Cardinal Newman's poem The Dream of Gerontius. The Birmingham Triennial Musical Festival, in Birmingham, England, founded in 1784 was the longest-running classical music Festival of its kind Family John Henry Newman was born in London and was the eldest son of John Newman (d The Dream of Gerontius, popularly called just Gerontius, is an Oratorio (Opus 38 in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900 to text from Despite a disastrous first performance due to poorly-prepared performers, the German premiere was much better received and the work was established within a few years as one of Elgar's greatest. It is now regarded as one of the finest examples of English choral music from any era.

Elgar is probably best known for the five Pomp and Circumstance Marches, composed between 1901 and 1930. The Pomp and Circumstance Marches (full title "Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches" Op Shortly after he composed the first march, Elgar set the trio melody to words by A. C. Benson as a Coronation Ode to mark the coronation of King Edward VII. A march, as a Musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a Military Arthur Christopher Benson ( 24 April, 1862 &ndash 17 June, 1925) was a British Essayist, Poet and Author Ode (from the Ancient Greek) is a form of stately and elaborate lyrical verse. The suggestion had already been made (allegedly by the future King himself) that words should be fitted to the broad tune which formed the trio section of this march. Against the advice of his friends, Elgar suggested that Benson furnish further words to allow him to include it in the new work. The result was Land of Hope and Glory, which formed the finale of the ode and was also issued (with slightly different words) as a separate song. Usage as the national anthem of England See also National anthem of England Land of Hope and Glory has long been traditionally sung amidst much flag-waving The work was immensely popular and became a second national anthem. At last, he had made the leap from accomplished back-country musician to England's foremost composer. It also gained Elgar the highest recognition he could have dreamed of--honorary degrees, a knighthood, special royal audiences, and a triumphal three-day festival of his music at Covent Garden attended by the King and Queen.

Between 1902 and 1914 Elgar enjoyed phenomenal success, made four visits to the USA including one conducting tour, and earned considerable fees from the performance of his music. Conducting is the act of directing a Musical performance by way of visible gestures Between 1905 and 1908 Elgar held the post of Professor of Music at the University of Birmingham. The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a British red brick University located in the city of Birmingham His lectures there caused controversy owing to remarks he made about other English composers and English music in general; he was quoted as saying "English music is white - it evades everything". The University of Birmingham's Special Collections contain an archive of letters written by Elgar. His new life as a celebrity was a mixed blessing as it often provoked ill-health from his high-strung nature and interrupted his privacy. He complained to Jaeger in 1903, "My life is one continual giving up of little things which I love. "[6]

Elgar's Symphony No. 1 (1908) was given one hundred performances in its first year, the violin concerto (1910) was commissioned by the world-renowned violinist Fritz Kreisler and was a resounding success, though Kreisler never played it, and in 1911, the year of the completion of his Symphony No. 2, he had the Order of Merit bestowed upon him. Sir Edward Elgar 's Symphony No 1 in A flat major Op 55 was written in 1907 &ndash 1908, and dedicated to " Hans Richter, Mus Sir Edward Elgar 's Violin Concerto in B minor Op 61, is one of his longest orchestral works and has been described as 'the greatest English contribution to the treasury of Fritz Kreisler ( February 2, 1875 &ndash January 29, 1962) was an Austria -born American Violinist and The Symphony No 2 in E-Flat Major, Op 63 of Edward Elgar is the second of two symphonies that he completed The Order of Merit is a British and Commonwealth Order bestowed by the Monarch. In 1912 he moved back to London, again to be closer to musical society but to the detriment of his love of the countryside and to his general mood.

Elgar's musical legacy is primarily orchestral and choral, but he did write for soloists and smaller instrumental groups. His one work for brass band, The Severn Suite (later arranged by the composer for orchestra), remains an important part of the brass band repertoire. A brass band is a Musical group generally consisting entirely of Brass instruments, most often with a percussion section For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin This work was dedicated to his friend George Bernard Shaw. George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. It is occasionally performed in its arrangement by Sir Ivor Atkins for organ as the composer's second Organ Sonata; Elgar's first, much earlier (1895) Organ Sonata was written specifically for the instrument in a highly orchestral style, and remains a cornerstone of the English Romantic organ repertoire. Sir Ivor Atkins ( 29 November 1869 &ndash 26 November 1953) was the choirmaster and organist at Worcester Cathedral for over 50 years The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each Sonata in G major, Op 28 is Sir Edward Elgar's first Sonata composed for the organ and first performed on 8 July 1895.

Later years

During World War I his music began to fall out of fashion. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The war was overturning his world and his time. He himself grew to hate his 'Pomp and Circumstance' March No. 1 with its popular tune (identified as 'Land of Hope and Glory' when the words were later added), which he felt had been made into a jingoistic song, not in keeping with the tragic loss of life in the war. This was captured in the film Elgar by Ken Russell. Elgar is a Drama documentary made in 1962 by the British director Ken Russell. Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell, known as Ken Russell (born 3 July 1927 is an English Film director. After the death of his wife in 1920, loneliness and declining interest in his art fostered little in the way of new works of importance. Shortly before her death he composed the elegiac Cello Concerto, often described as his last masterpiece. Elegiac refers either to those compositions that are like elegies or to a specific poetic meter used in Classical elegies Sir Edward Elgar 's Cello Concerto in E minor Op 85 was his last notable work and is a cornerstone of the solo Cello repertoire

Elgar lived in the village of Kempsey, Worcestershire from 1923 to 1927. Kempsey is a Village and Civil parish in Worcestershire, England. It was during this time, a few weeks before the performance of his "Empire March" and eight songs "Pageant of Empire" for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition, that he was made Master of the King's Musick. The British Empire Exhibition was a Colonial exhibition held at Wembley, Middlesex in 1924 and 1925 Master of the Queen's Music (or Master of the King's Music) is a post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom.

He was the first composer to make extensive recordings of his own compositions. HMV (His Master's Voice) recorded much of his music acoustically from 1914 onwards and then began a series of electrical recordings in 1926 that continued until 1933, including his "Enigma Variations," "Falstaff," the first and second symphonies, his cello and violin concertos, all of the "Pomp and Circumstance" marches, and other orchestral works. His Master's Voice, today usually abbreviated to HMV, is a famous Trademark in the music business and for many years was the name of a large record label Part of a 1927 rehearsal of the second symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra was also recorded and later issued. The London Symphony Orchestra ( LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom.

In November 1931, Elgar was filmed by Pathe for a newsreel depicting a recording session of Pomp and Circumstance March No. This article deals with the Pathé movie company For their music business see Pathé Records. 1 at the opening of the famous Abbey Road Studios in London. Abbey Road Studios, established in November 1931 by EMI in London, England, is a Recording studio located at number 3 Abbey Road, It is believed to be the only surviving sound film of Elgar, who makes a brief remark before conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, asking the musicians to "play this tune as though you've never heard it before. The London Symphony Orchestra ( LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. " [7] Silent films of the composer have also survived.

In the 1932 recording of the violin concerto, the aging composer worked with the American violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who was then only 16 years old; they worked well together and Menuhin warmly recalled his association with the composer years later, when he performed the concerto with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Yehudi Menuhin Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE (April 22 1916 – March 12 1999 was an American -born Violinist and conductor who spent The San Francisco Symphony ( SFS) is a leading Orchestra based in San Francisco California. Menuhin later conducted an award-winning recording of Elgar's Cello Concerto with the cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and much of the major orchestral music. Julian Lloyd Webber (born April 14 1951) is one of the world's most renowned solo cellists

Elgar's recordings usually featured such orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra (which reverted in 1928 to its earlier name, New Symphony Orchestra) and, in 1933, the newly-founded London Philharmonic Orchestra. The London Philharmonic Orchestra ( LPO) based in London, is one of the major Orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Elgar's recordings were released on 78-rpm discs by both HMV and RCA Victor. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. In later years, EMI reissued the recordings on LP and CD.

In his later years, Elgar befriended young conductors such as Adrian Boult and Malcolm Sargent who championed his music when it was out of fashion. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH ( 8 April 1889 WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes -->Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 &ndash 3 October 1967 [8][9]

At the end of his life Elgar began work on an opera, The Spanish Lady, and accepted a commission from the BBC to compose a Third Symphony. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto His final illness prevented their completion.

He died on 23 February 1934 and was buried, at St. Wulstan's Church in Little Malvern, next to his wife Alice. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Little Malvern is a small village south of Malvern Wells in Worcestershire, England. Within four months, two more great English composers - Gustav Holst and Frederick Delius - were also dead. Gustav Theodore Holst (21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934was an English Composer and was a music teacher for nearly 20 years Frederick Albert Theodore Delius CH (29 January 1862 &ndash 10 June 1934 was an English Composer born in Bradford in the West Riding of Yorkshire

Legacy

The statue of Edward Elgar at the end of Worcester High Street
The statue of Edward Elgar at the end of Worcester High Street

The house in Lower Broadheath where Elgar was born is now a museum devoted to his life and work. Broadheath is a Civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England.

The statue of him at the end of Worcester High Street stands facing the cathedral, only yards from where his father's shop once stood.

Another statue of the composer is at the top of Church Street in Malvern, overlooking the town and giving visitors an opportunity to stand next to the composer in the shadow of the Hills which he so often regarded. Malvern is a Town and Civil parish in Worcestershire, England.

In September 2005, a statue sculpted by Jemma Pearson was unveiled near Hereford Cathedral in honour of the few years Elgar lived in the city. Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England.

From 1999 until early 2007, new Bank of England twenty pound notes featured a portrait of Elgar: from then, a new series of notes featured a portrait of Adam Smith. Sterling banknotes are the Banknotes of the United Kingdom and British Islands, denominated in pounds sterling (symbol £ Adam Smith ( baptised 16 June 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of Political economy. [10] The change generated controversy, particularly because 2007 was the 150th anniversary of Elgar's birth. [11]

Elgar's sketches for his third symphony were "elaborated" in the 1990s by the composer Anthony Payne,[12] who also subsequently produced a performing version of the sketches for a sixth Pomp and Circumstance march, premiered at the Proms in August 2006. Anthony Payne (born August 2, 1936) is an English Composer, most famous for the work published as Edward Elgar The Sketches for Symphony The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily Orchestral [13] In 2007, the Elgar Society commissioned Payne to complete the orchestration of the music for Elgar’s Crown of India Suite, Op. The Crown of India, was a Masque, an elaborate theatrical presentation staged in 1912 to celebrate the visit the preceding December of King George V and 66. [14]

Elgar's sketches for a piano concerto dating from 1913 were elaborated by the composer Robert Walker and first performed in August 1997 by the pianist David Owen Norris. The realisation has since been extensively revised.

Elgar's music is associated with two well-known occasions in Britain's annual calendar: the Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 is played at the Last Night of the Proms, while at the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in London, 'Nimrod' from his 'Enigma Variations' is performed by massed bands. The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily Orchestral Remembrance Day also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates or Veterans Day is a day to commemorate the A cenotaph is a tomb or a Monument erected in honour of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere

The hit track Clubbed To Death by Rob Dougan, featured on the soundtrack to the 1999 movie The Matrix, is partially based on the Enigma Variations. Furious Angels is the debut album by Rob Dougan, released in June 2002 in the United Kingdom and in July 2003 in the United States and Europe Rob Dougan, also known as Rob D (born 1969 Sydney, Australia) is a genre-blending Music composer. The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction - martial arts - Action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra Op 36 ("Enigma", commonly referred to as the "Enigma" Variations, is a set of a theme and its fourteen

Venetian Snares used samples from Elgar's Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85 on the track Szamár Madár on his album Rossz Csillag Alatt Született. Venetian Snares is the main performing alias of Canadian Electronic musician Aaron Funk (born January 11, 1975) Sir Edward Elgar 's Cello Concerto in E minor Op 85 was his last notable work and is a cornerstone of the solo Cello repertoire Rossz csillag alatt született (ros tʃilɑg ɑlɑt sylɛtɛt often referred to as The Hungarian Album) is a 2005 album by Breakcore artist

Many streets in England are named after Elgar: for example there are eleven Elgar Avenues, including one in Malvern, Worcestershire; and a street in North Springfield, Virginia, USA is named after him. Worcestershire (ˈwʊstəʃə abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. North Springfield is a Census-designated place (CDP in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state

Extra-musical interests

Despite living in Worcester, Elgar was an ardent Wolverhampton Wanderers fan and may have travelled to home games on his bicycle. Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. Elgar bought two Wolverhampton-produced Royal Sunbeam bicycles in 1903, which he named Mr Phoebus, and visited the Sunbeam Works in Upper Villiers Street for 'tuning'. Sunbeam was a British Motorcycle marque generally known for high quality

During the first rehearsal for the young Yehudi Menuhin's forthcoming recording of the Violin Concerto, the violinist had played Elgar only the first page when the composer announced that all was going to be well, and that he was going to leave Menuhin and go "off to the races" at Pitchcroft, Worcester's racecourse. Yehudi Menuhin Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE (April 22 1916 – March 12 1999 was an American -born Violinist and conductor who spent Sir Edward Elgar 's Violin Concerto in B minor Op 61, is one of his longest orchestral works and has been described as 'the greatest English contribution to the treasury of Lord Menuhin would often tell press interviewers this story; he would describe it as one of his favourite memories of Elgar.

Quotations

Honours and awards

Works

See also: Category:Compositions by Edward Elgar

Orchestral

Concertante

Stage

Vocal/Choral Orchestral

Vocal

with piano accompaniment, unless otherwise noted

Choral

Chamber

Instrumental

Keyboard

Brass Band

Transcriptions and Arrangements

See also

Bibliography

Fiction

Notes

  1. ^ Michael Kennedy The Life of Elgar Hardback ISBN-13: 9780521810760, ISBN-10: 0521810760 Paperback ISBN-13: 9780521009072, ISBN-10: 0521009073
  2. ^ Michael Kennedy, Portrait of Elgar, Oxford University Press, 1968, p. 15.
  3. ^ Michael Kennedy, Portrait of Elgar, Oxford University Press, 1968, p. 115.
  4. ^ Michael Kennedy, Portrait of Elgar, Oxford University Press, 1968, p. 50.
  5. ^ Michael Kennedy, Portrait of Elgar, Oxford University Press, 1968, p. 55.
  6. ^ Michael Kennedy, Portrait of Elgar, Oxford University Press, 1968, p. 144.
  7. ^ Sir Edward Elgar, 1931 "Land of hope & glory" THE MASTER OF THE KING'S MUSICK
  8. ^ Music and Friends, pp. 42-7, 56-9, 96-8
  9. ^ Aldous, p. 124
  10. ^ Adam Smith to Feature on New-Series £20 Banknote. Bank of England (30 October 2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started
  11. ^ "Keep Elgar on £20 notes campaign", BBC News, 2 November 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started  
  12. ^ a b See the remarks made by Elgar to his friend "Billy" Reed, a few weeks before he died, regarding the possibility of anyone 'completing' the Third Symphony from the existing sketches: ". . . the symphony all bits and pieces. . . no one would understand. . . don't let anyone tinker with it. . . " He was asking Reed to promise that no one should attempt to complete the symphony, and Reed assured him. From W. H. Reed Elgar as I knew him, London: 1973, page 114. A section of that book (from page 160) describes the collected fragments and sketches, with 42 pages of facsimiles.
  13. ^ "Elgar's piece premiered at Proms", BBC News, 2 August 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started  
  14. ^ "The Elgar Society's 2007 Commission", The Apostle, Elgar Society, 18 August 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started  
  15. ^ Elgar - His Music : The Dream of Gerontius - A Musical Analysis
  16. ^ The Civic Fanfare was written for the mayoral procession at the opening of the Hereford Festival on 4 September 1927. The orchestration includes fanfares for the orchestral brass accompanied by wind and percussion; but the only strings which take part are violas, celli and double basses. The work was written to precede a performance of Elgar's transcription of 'God Save the King' and is ended by a side-drum roll which leads directly into the National Anthem, when the violins join the full orchestra and choir in a triumphant entry.
  17. ^ The Starlight Express Op.78 (Retrieved 15 Nov 2007)
  18. ^ Unknown Elgar is just a puff of smoke. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Guardian. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Retrieved on 2006-09-15. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy.
  19. ^ Queen Alexandra's Memorial Ode was written when Elgar was Master of the King's Musick, for the unveiling of the Memorial to Queen Alexandra on June 8th 1932. Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Carolina Marie Charlotte Louise Julia 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925 was Queen Consort to Edward VII of the United Kingdom The words were by the Poet Laureate (John Masefield). A Poet Laureate is a Poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events John Edward Masefield, OM, ( 1 June 1878 &ndash 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer and Poet Laureate It was originally scored for choir and orchestra, but then the orchestra part had to be hastily arranged for Military Band by a Captain of the Welsh Guards. A military band is a group of personnel that perform musical duties for military functions usually The band was conducted by the composer. Orchestra and band parts have since been lost, but the work has been rearranged for choir and small orchestra by John Morrison (born 1936, member of the Elgar Society) from the manuscript vocal score in the Library of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
  20. ^ Basil Maine, "Elgar, His Life and Works" Vol. 2 (Works), London, G. Bell & Sons Ltd. , 1933, p. 253
  21. ^ "Percival" is likely the composer himself, assisted by his mother
  22. ^ From Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection,
  23. ^ No doubt Clapham Town End is a Yorkshire song, but it is the same tune as "Richard of Taunton Dene", a traditional Somersetshire song
  24. ^ This song was published as his Op. 48, No. 1, but no other Op. 48 works exist
  25. ^ A Child Asleep: Anthony Goetz was the son of the singer Muriel Foster
  26. ^ a b c Of the songs in Elgar's planned Op. Born in Sunderland, Muriel Foster (1877 - 1937 became a contralto excelling in oratorio 59, nos. 1, 2 and 4 were never published, and not even their titles are known
  27. ^ a b c "Pietro d'Alba" (alias "Peter Rabbit") was Elgar's pseudonym for himself
  28. ^ According to the Stretton Manuscripts in RootsWeb, Capt. William de Courcy Stretton of the Royal Artillery was the eldest son of Col. Severus Wiliam Lynam Stretton (1793-1884) of Nottingham, and the Hon. Catherine Adela de Courcy, youngest daughter of the 28th Lord Kingsale, premier baron of Ireland
  29. ^ a b c Elgar made four visits to the USA: the last in 1911. He wrote three songs: The Merry-go-round for (children's) voices in unison with piano accompaniment; The Brook a simple two-part song with piano accompaniment; and Windlass Song for four-part voices (SATB) unaccompanied. The songs were published by Silver, Burdett & Co. of New York City in "The Progressive Music Series", books Two (1914), Three (1915) and Four (1915) respectively. All three songs are short: The Merry-go-round 13 bars with two verses - the tune of this is simple and the notation unusually large, indicating that this was written for young children; The Brook 13 bars with three verses; and Windlass Song 14 bars with four verses. Elgar signed a schedule excluding their publication in any form apart from that series, and specifically not to be published outside the USA, though in 1921 Elgar gave permisssion for them to be published in the Canadian edition of that series. (Information provided on April 1 1980 by Elsie Plant, Senior Editor Music Publications, Silver Burdett Company, 250 James Street, Morristown, NJ)
  30. ^ Harmony Music performing edition by Richard McNicol, Belwin Mills, London 1977
  31. ^ Elgar's spelling is "Madame Taussaud's" not the correct "Madame Tussaud's"

External links

Preceded by
Walter Parratt		 Master of the King's Musick
1924–1934		 Succeeded by
Henry Walford Davies
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
New Creation		 Baronet
(of Broadheath)
1931–1934		 Succeeded by
Extinct


Persondata
NAME Elgar, Edward
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Elgar, Edward William (full name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION English composer
DATE OF BIRTH June 2, 1857
PLACE OF BIRTH Lower Broadheath|, England
DATE OF DEATH February 23, 1934
PLACE OF DEATH
Sir Walter Parratt KCVO ( 10 February 1841 - 27 March 1924) was an English Organist and Composer. Master of the Queen's Music (or Master of the King's Music) is a post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Sir Henry Walford Davies, KCVO, OBE, ( September 6, 1869 - March 11, 1941) was a British Composer, Baronetage of England (1611-1705 King James I erected the hereditary Order of Baronets in England on 22 May 1611 for the settlement of Ireland Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Broadheath is a Civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
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