Wednesday 22 April 2009, 10:42PM
A little tribute to Sir Edward
Elgar with bicycle 'Sunbeam', 1903.
After a long day of meetings, coming home to the dismal news of the Budget, and the realisation that the Tories are almost certainly going to form the next Government, I was cheered when sitting down at the computer to check emails to switch on the radio and remember that Elgar is the current Radio 3 Composer of the Week.
With the encomium to A N Wilson that was my previous post, I realise the blog this week has become something of a celebration of British ‘chaps’. But I love everything about dear old Sir Edward (not least the great pic above).
Unfortunately he’s rather associated in the public mind with his splendidly named ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ marches, the best known of which was paired with the unsubtle lyric ‘Land of Hope of Glory’, and rounds off the Last Night of the Proms. I will always remember Kate’s face when she first saw this unbrideled, and somewhat nuts, yearly display of unrestrained British patriotism, particularly all the bobbing up and down. (I hasten to say that although it’s not quite my cup of tea, I’m not one of those so embarrassed by it that they call for it to be replaced with something else - no doubt anodyne.)
As it happens I think the marches are good fun, with some great tunes. But there’s much, much, much, much more to Elgar than that. Listening to this week’s Composer of the Week programmes I’m reminded of just how sad and lovely so much of his music is. The word ‘elegiac’ could have been invented just for it. It’s all long shadows on late summer evenings, deckchairs left out in the rain, seaside towns out of season, and memories of early childhood. Primarily the latter. I was glad that they played a generous portion of his ‘Wand of Youth’ suite, written quite late in his life, and the most haunting musical evocation of and yearning for childhood I’ve ever heard. I’m pretty nostalgic now, and I dread to think what I’ll be like when I play this when I’m old.
They’ve also played quite a bit from the ‘Enigma Variations’, including the fabulous opening movement, and ‘Nimrod’. Heard it a million times, but I always have to stop what I’m doing and just give in and listen to it all the way through.
His setting of Newman’s poem ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ has also been featured. As one reviewer has noted, the chorus of demons has a tendency to sound a bit middle class, but it’s awe inspiring stuff. As Kate mentioned in one of her blog posts it’s on at the Edinburgh International Festival this year, and we’ve got tickets. Can’t wait.
Comments (5)
1 Kate ~ Thursday 23 April 2009, 10:43AM
I’m glad you linked to the youtube video. The bobbing up and down gets me every time - particularly the old posh guys in tuxes in the front row. I love it.
2 Elizabeth ~ Thursday 23 April 2009, 2:14PM
Oh my.
I’d not seen that before.
There are some places where radio, as a medium, fails us.
3 Virginia Gal ~ Monday 27 April 2009, 4:43AM
What is this about the Tories leading the government??! Scottish government?? Or is Gordon Brown getting the boot?
4 Kate ~ Monday 27 April 2009, 10:06AM
It’s looking more and more likely that the Tories will win the next election, VG. Of course, Brown has to be the one to call the election in the first place, but even so, Labour’s popularity has been falling steadily since he came into office, and they’re unlikely to reverse that trend now. It’s definitely a case of when and not if. Sigh. One more thing to be depressed about…..
5 Reno ~ Monday 27 April 2009, 3:42PM
Great to see some British patriotism we ALL need something to take our minds off the daily gloom and doom we are bombarded with every waking minute of our lives. Well done for showing it.