what instruments did elgar

The son of an organist and music dealer, Elgar left school at age 15 and worked briefly in a lawyer’s office. He was an excellent violinist, played the bassoon, and spent periods as a bandmaster and church organist. He had no formal training in composition.

Full Answer

What is Elgar's most famous work?

Sir Edward William Elgar (1857–1934) was an English composer, among whose best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos for violin and cello, and two symphonies.

What instruments did Elgar learn to play?

Elgar spent many hours with his father, and by age 8 he was taking both piano and violin lessons, though he also taught himself to play other instruments. He began composing at the early age of 10 when he composed the music for a play written and performed by the Elgar children.

What did Sir Edward Elgar do for English music?

Sir Edward Elgar. The first English composer of international stature since Henry Purcell (1659–95), Elgar liberated his country’s music from its insularity. He left to younger composers the rich harmonic resources of late Romanticism and stimulated the subsequent national school of English music.

How many known compositions by Edward Elgar are there?

The table below shows all known compositions by Edward Elgar . Works are shown in opus number order (Opp. 1–90), followed by those without opus number, in date order (1867–1933). The list includes incomplete and unpublished works. Pub. 1. Overture 2. Serenade 3. Minuet (Old Style) 4. Sun Dance 5. Fairy Pipers 6. Slumber Scene 7. Fairies and Giants

What music did Elgar compose?

Pomp and Circumsta... MarchesCello ConcertoEnigma Variations / Nimrod (A...Enigma VariationsSalut d'AmourSerenade for StringsEdward Elgar/Compositions

What is Elgar's most famous piece of music?

In 1899, Elgar composed one of his best-known works, the "Enigma" Variations, Op. 36, which catapulted him to fame.

Did Elgar play the trombone?

He did not actually take up learning the trombone until he was in his mid-40s – and he never mastered how to play the blasted thing properly.

What era was Elgar?

Elgar's active years spanned both the Romantic period and the start of the 20th century. His work is often anthemic or evocative of the British countryside, and holds much national appeal, even to this day. Elgar was born in Broadheath, near Worcester.

Why did Elgar call it Nimrod?

The best known of the variations is the serene Variation No. 9, identified by the composer as “Nimrod.” The name is a play on words, as the biblical Nimrod was a great hunter, and the German word meaning “hunter” is Jaeger.

What is the meaning of Elgar?

In Teutonic Baby Names the meaning of the name Elgar is: Shining spear.

What was Edward Elgar famous for?

Although Elgar is often regarded as a typically English composer most of his musical influences were not from England but from continental Europe. Elgar's best works include the Enigma Variations, The Dream Of Gerontius, the Pomp and Circumstances Marches, concertos for violin and cello and two symphonies.

Is Elgar public domain?

It is in the public domain in the United States as well as countries and areas where the copyright terms of anonymous or pseudonymous works are 95 years or fewer since publication.

Where is Elgar from?

Broadheath, United KingdomEdward Elgar / Place of birthEarly years. Edward Elgar was born in the small village of Lower Broadheath, outside Worcester, England, on 2 June 1857.

What happened to Elgar's daughter?

The last concert she attended was a performance of some of Elgar's chamber music in London. She died of lung cancer, aged 71, on 7 April, in their home Severn House at 42 Netherhall Gardens in Hampstead.

Why did Elgar write his cello concerto?

Elgar wrote the concerto in 1919, just after the Great War. Appalled and disillusioned by the suffering caused by the war, he realized that life in Europe would never be the same after such destruction.

Who wrote La Campanella?

Franz LisztNiccolò PaganiniLa campanella/Composers

Who wrote La Campanella?

Franz LisztNiccolò PaganiniLa campanella/Composers

What is The Dream of Gerontius about?

The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, is a work for voices and orchestra in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by John Henry Newman. It relates the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God and settling into Purgatory.

Is Elgar a great composer?

Sir Edward Elgar (2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was one of the greatest British composers and one of the leading European composers of his generation. Although Elgar is often regarded as a typically English composer most of his musical influences were not from England but from continental Europe.

Who wrote pomp and circumstance?

Edward ElgarAmadeo Mariscal LopezPomp and Circumstance Marches/Composers

What is Elgar's best known work?

In 1899, Elgar composed one of his best-known works, the "Enigma" Variations, Op. 36, which catapulted him to fame. The work is a cryptic tribute to Alice and to the many friends who stood behind the composer in the shaky early days of his career.

Who was Edward Elgar?

Edward Elgar (1857–1934) Sir Edward William Elgar (1857–1934) was an English composer, among whose best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos for violin and cello, and two symphonies. Life and Music.

What was Elgar's most fruitful period?

Elgar's most fruitful period was the first decade of the twentieth century, during which he wrote some of his noblest, most expressive music, including the first four of his Pomp and Circumstance Marches; the first of these, subtitled "Land of Hope and Glory", became an unofficial second national anthem for the British Empire.

What did Elgar's father teach his son?

Life and Music. Elgar's father owned a music shop and was a church organist who taught his son piano, organ, and violin; apart from this instruction, Elgar was basically self-taught as a musician. At the age of 16, the composer became a freelance musician and for the remainder of his life never took a permanent job.

What happened to Elgar in 1909?

Elgar suffered a blow when Jaeger (the "Nimrod" of the "Enigma" Variations) died in 1909. The composer's productivity dropped, and the horrors of World War I deepened his melancholic outlook.

What was Elgar known for?

Though it took considerable time and effort Elgar began to build a reputation as a composer during the 1890’s, with several pieces being performed publicly. Critics began to accept him as a composer of note although their reviews were often polite rather than enthusiastic. He was now in demand as a festival composer but his inability to make any significant income from his composing made Elgar depressed. His friend August Jaeger, in an attempt to cheer Elgar up, told him “Your time of universal recognition will come”. Jaeger was correct and in 1899, at the age of 42, Elgar wrote the Enigma Variations which were then premiered in London, conducted by German Hans Richter. His work gained positive reviews, being praised for its originality, charm and craftsmanship, and finally Elgar got the recognition he had long sought, being dubbed the British composer of his generation. On the heels of his newfound success music lovers eagerly awaited Elgar’s next works. He was knighted at Buckingham Palace in 1904. Elgar is probably most easily recognized for his Pomp and Circumstance Marches which are still played often today, most notably at notable events such as graduations and at Britain’s yearly Last Night of the Proms.

What did Elgar do?

After just a few short months at the solicitor’s office Elgar decided to embark upon a musical career, teaching piano and violin as well as helping out in his father’s store on occasion. Elgar and his father were both active members of the Worcester Glee Club and it was here that he accompanied the singers on violin, and composed works. It was at the Glee Club that Elgar received his first introduction to conducting. Adolf Pollitzer, from whom Elgar had received a small number of formal lessons earlier, encouraged the young man to pursue a career as a violin soloist but having heard the caliber of violin virtuosi at concerts in London Elgar felt his skill as a violinist was not good enough. As a result he abandoned the idea and took up conducting instead.

Where did Elgar go to school?

Elgar attended the Littleton House School until the age of 15, all the while studying every music book and organ instruction manual he could get his hands on. He learned German in the hope that when he finished school he would further his violin studies at Leipzig Conservatory but his father was unable to afford to send him. Elgar took up a position as a clerk at a local solicitor’s office which he disliked so spent every spare moment reading. It was around this time that he first performed in public as a violinist and organist.

Where is Edward Elgar from?

Edward William Elgar was born on June 2 1987 in Lower Broadheath, a small village near Worcester, England and was the fourth of seven children. His father William was a piano tuner by trade and owned a music store where he sold sheet music and musical instruments, as well as being a professional violinist. His mother Ann had a keen interest in the arts and encouraged an interest in music within all of her children. Elgar spent many hours with his father, and by age 8 he was taking both piano and violin lessons, though he also taught himself to play other instruments. He began composing at the early age of 10 when he composed the music for a play written and performed by the Elgar children.

Who was Edward Elgar's wife?

It was at the age of 29 that Elgar met the woman who was to become his wife. Alice Roberts became a pupil of Elgar’s and despite being eight years his senior the two married three years later, much to the horror of her parents who considered a musician beneath her. Alice dedicated her life to being his business manager and social secretary, doing everything within her power to get her husband the recognition she felt he deserved, though her tireless efforts brought only mediocre results at best. It was upon Alice’s suggestion that the Elgars moved to London to be closer to the music world and Edward devoted himself to composing full time. Their only daughter Carice was born in 1890 at their West Kensington home. In 1891 the family was forced to return to live in Worcester so that Edward could earn a living once again as a conductor.

What are Elgar's most famous works?

Elgar’s principal works of a programmatic nature are the overture Cockaigne, or In London Town (1901), and the “symphonic study” Falstaff (1913). Of his five Pomp and Circumstance marches (1901–07; 1930), the first became particularly famous.

What did Elgar do?

The son of an organist and music dealer, Elgar left school at age 15 and worked briefly in a lawyer’s office. He was an excellent violinist, played the bassoon, and spent periods as a bandmaster and church organist. He had no formal training in composition.

How many oratorios did Elgar write?

Elgar, a Roman Catholic, planned to continue with a trilogy of religious oratorios, but he completed only two: The Apostles (1903) and The Kingdom (19 06). In these less successful works, representative themes are interwoven in the manner of the leitmotivs of Wagner.

When was Elgar knighted?

In 1904 Elgar was knighted, and from 1905 to 1908 he was the University of Birmingham’s first professor of music. During World War I he wrote occasional patriotic pieces. After the death of his wife in 1920, he curtailed his music writing severely, and in 1929 he returned to Worcestershire.

Who is Edward Elgar?

English composer. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Sir Edward Elgar, in full Sir Edward William Elgar, (born June 2, 1857, Broadheath, Worcestershire, England—died February 23, ...

What did Edward Elgar leave unfinished?

Friendship with George Bernard Shaw eventually stimulated Elgar to further composition, and at his death he left unfinished a third symphony, a piano concerto, and an opera. Sir Edward Elgar. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now.

What is Elgar's most famous work?

One of Elgar's most popular works, the 'Enigma' Variations from 1899, is also his most mysterious. Each of the fourteen variations has a cryptic subtitle that relates to a particular person (or animal) in Elgar's life, including his wife, his publisher, and various friends and students.

What was Elgar's career?

2. Early work. Elgar became something of a musical odd-jobber, regularly accompanying local groups and choirs, as well as making early forays into composing. It wasn't the most lucrative path, though, and he spent some time working at a solicitors to make ends meet. 3. A man of letters. Elgar was particularly keen on sending letters ...

What was Edward Elgar's invention?

He would happily spend hours in his shed tinkering away at little experiments, but the culmination was most certainly his invention of the Elgar Sulphuretted Hydrogen Apparatus, which was a device for synthesising hydrogen sulphide that briefly went into production.

What was Elgar's bicycle called?

15. Keen cyclist. In 1900 Elgar took delivery of a brand new Royal Sunbeam bicycle, which he nicknamed 'Mr Phoebus'.

Where did Elgar go on his Amazon trip?

Amazon trip. In 1923 Elgar made a little-documented trip to South America, where he embarked upon a cruise of the Amazon river. The event was fictionalised in James Hamilton-Patterson's novel 'Gerontius', which makes a rather fanciful fist of the whole episode. 13.

When did Elgar get engaged?

An early romance. While he was in Leipzig, Elgar visited his friend Helen Weaver, to whom he became engaged in 1883. It didn't last, though, and the engagement was called in the following year. He never divulged exactly why.

Who recorded the cello concerto?

The premiere recording was made by Beatrice Harrison, with Elgar himself conducting in 1920.

Who was the daughter of the Elgars?

Their daughter Martina, one of six children, was a pupil of Elgar's, and the family encouraged him in the formation of a new Worcester Philharmonic Society, with Elgar as conductor. The Hyde family were also amusing friends of the Elgars and lived in a large house in Foregate Street near the station.

Who were the Raikes at Elgar's wedding?

The Raikes were the only members of her family to attend Elgar's wedding, and lent the Elgars their house in Upper Norwood for a few weeks in 1889. ^ Dr. Frank Ehrke of the Manor House, Kempsey was 1st violin in the Worcestershire Philharmonic Society Orchestra. ^ Fred Ward was one of Elgar's pupils.

When was the false opus number 11 composed?

The false opus number 11 was in fact allocated to the Sursum Corda of 1894 . The work may have been composed as early as 1893 as a movement of a Violin Sonata. ^ The dedication, like the name of the composer, is probably fictional. Serge Derval, Anvers may form various anagrams which include the name Elgar.

Who gave the arrangement to Blackbourne?

Elgar gave the arrangement to Blackbourne, who then sold it to Willcocks & Co. in 1907. ^ Elgar used to go to the Malvern Wells house of The Rev. William Wilberforce Gedge, Headmaster of Wells House School, every week to give violin lessons to his daughters (Moore, p. 72)

Who played the oboe in the 1881 census?

Edward Elgar". ^ The composer's brother Frank Elgar, who played the oboe. ^ The England 1881 census shows that Karl Bammert was a German watchmaker aged 21, a boarder at the Elgar family house No. 10 High Street Worcester – he was probably the violinist.

What was Elgar's final sketch?

Elgar left sketches for a sixth Pomp and Circumstance march, to be the final work in the set.

Who conducted the Elgars' march?

Both marches were played two days later at a London Promenade Concert (which the Elgars unintentionally missed) in the Queen's Hall London, conducted by Henry Wood, with March No. 1 played second.

What poem did Elgar use as a motto for the march?

But also, on the score of the first march, Elgar set as a motto for the whole set of marches a verse from Lord de Tabley's poem "The March of Glory", which (as quoted by Elgar's biographer Basil Maine) begins

What instruments are used in the second march?

After a loud call to attention from the brass, a simple staccato theme, tense and repetitive, is played quietly by the strings, being gradually joined by other instruments before building up to an abrupt climax. This section is repeated. The second theme, confidently played by horns and clarinets, with contrasting triple and duple rhythms, is one which was sketched by Elgar a few years before: this is developed and ends with flourishes from the strings and brass joined by the glockenspiel. The opening staccato theme returns, concluded by a quiet swirling bass passage, which leads into the Trio section (in the tonic major key of A) which consists of a delightfully simple tune in thirds played by the woodwind ( flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons ), answered conclusively by the strings and brass. This Trio section is repeated, and the march concluded with a brilliant little coda, which includes a drum roll on the snare drum, a shattering chord in A Minor, briefly played by horns, and followed by a final cadence.

Who arranged the first four marches?

For military band: The first four marches were arranged by M. Retford and March No. 5 by T. Conway Brown.

Who published Elgar's Op 39?

The first five were all published by Boosey & Co. as Elgar's Op. 39, and each of the marches is dedicated to a particular musical friend of Elgar's.

Who arranged the Marches 1-5?

Marches 1–5 have been arranged in simplified and abbreviated form by William McVicker; concert transcriptions of Marches 2, 3, and 5, matching the Lemare and Sinclair arrangements, have been made by Michael Brough for use at Holy Trinity Sloane Street but have not yet been published.

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