It would surely be no presumption that perhaps the most common image of Sir Edward Elgar is the walrus-mustachioed, imperious figure who—like the similar picture of Lord Kitchener on the WW I recruiting posters—represents all that is Edwardian England. In the popular imagination he might be the embodiment of Imperial Britain, the empire on which the sun never set, and more specifically, the...
Introduction and Allegro, op. 47
It would surely be no presumption that perhaps the most common image of Sir Edward Elgar is the walrus-mustachioed, imperious figure who—like the similar picture of Lord Kitchener on the WW I recruiting posters—represents all that is Edwardian England. In the popular imagination he might be the embodiment of Imperial Britain, the empire on which the sun never set, and more specifically, the...
Variations on an Original Theme (“Enigma”), op. 36
Elgar’s first significant, acclaimed work, the Variations, was given its première in 1899, conducted by the great Hans Richter. It was an immediate success, and garnered performances and praise in Europe—including from Richard Strauss. Not bad for a composer of modest reputation who had chiefly labored far from the bustle of London. Although he had been steadily building his reputation...