Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar (1857–1934) is one of the most well-known British composers. You have probably heard some of his music even if you don’t know it! Every year, at the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, his ‘Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1’ is played, which includes ‘Land of Hope and Glory’. And the beautiful and intense ‘Nimrod’ (from the Enigma Variations) is often played on serious occasions – Remembrance Day, funerals and state occasions.
But Elgar took a long time to become famous and it was the Enigma Variations (written when he was 42 in 1899) which catapulted him to fame. Up until that point he was a freelance musician, working near Worcester as a conductor, music teacher, organist and violin/viola player. He had some music lessons early on, and some more advanced violin lessons when he was 20, but he was self-taught on the organ and as a composer.
In the 1890s he began to become better known as a composer, and had some works published. But when his Enigma Variations were performed they became immediately popular both at home and abroad. His works were now eagerly awaited, and his next work The Dream of Gerontius, which has a religious theme, was described as ‘memorable and epoch-making’ by one critic.
Over his lifetime he composed 90 works for all sorts of ensembles: orchestras, chamber ensembles, soloists and choirs. Some regard his music as being the epitome of Englishness. The composer Jean Sibelius said it was “the personification of the true English character in music … a noble personality and a born aristocrat”.
Other works to listen to:
- Cello Concerto – a very famous piece, which became very popular in the 1960s when it was performed by the famous young cellist Jacqueline du Pré
- Salut d’Amore & Chanson de Matin – two short, beautiful pieces for violin and piano
- Pomp and Circumstance Marches – No.1 includes ‘Land of Hope and Glory’
Enigma Variations Op.36 for orchestra
The work’s starting point came when Elgar was improvising at the piano and his wife remarked that she like the melody he was playing. He responded by starting to play it in different ways, each representing some of their friends and acquaintances. From this he fashioned this well-loved piece we know today which lasts around 30 minutes. It consists of a theme, and 14 variations, each one representing someone whom the Elgars knew.
If you listen to the piece in one go, think about the different characters Elgar might be trying to represent. They could be calm or agitated, polite or serious. As well as each variation having a distinctive feel, some of them describe events and one even describes a pet! There’s a mixture of fast and slow ones, and some of them are incredibly short – less than a minute. Listen and see what you think.
If you would like to listen to one of two of the variations separately, here are a few suggestions:
Variation 4: A portrait of W M Baker. It is a description of him reading arrangements to a group of friends for an outing in a rather forceful way and then hurriedly leaving the room and slamming the door!
Variation 9: The famous variation ’Nimrod’. This is a musical description of A J Jaeger, Elgar’s music publisher. What do you think Jaeger was like as a person? Here is a performance of ‘Nimrod’ from the LPO archive, which was recorded in 1958!
Variation 11: This variation named ‘G R Sinclair’ who was the organist at Hereford Cathedral. But it’s actually of his dog, Dan. Its starting point is Dan falling down a steep bank, paddling upstream, and then barking when he finds a landing place. Sinclair said to Elgar “Set that to music!” and Elgar did!
Variation 13: A portrait of Lady Mary Lyon who was on a sea voyage when Elgar composed the piece. See if you can hear the timpani drums imitating the motor of the ship. Elgar asked that the timpani be played with 2 coins instead of the usual soft mallets to recreate the sound of the engine quietly throbbing away. The music switches in mood between happy and content, and much more thoughtful.
Variation 14: The finale, the longest variation, is a description of Elgar himself. In it, Elgar refers to some of the earlier variations, including ‘Nimrod’, and it ends with a triumphant rendition of the opening theme. Here is a short clip from a recent LPO rehearsal with our Principal Conductor Ed Gardner.
We hope you enjoy exploring Elgar’s music!
