1857–1934 English composer Elgar was born at Broadheath, near Worcester. His father ran a music shop in Worcester, where Elgar embarked on a course of self-instruction that made him total master of music’s craft and one of the world’s greatest orchestrators. Brought up a Roman Catholic in a Protestant community and a tradesman’s son, Elgar never felt socially ...
in use in France and Spain, and was the instrument many composers had in mind when writing orchestral music, including Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924), Claude Debussy (1862–1918) and Edward Elgar (1857–1934). Contrabassoon Sounding an octave below the bassoon, the contra- or double bassoon is a conical tube 550 cm (217 in) long. Doubling back on itself five times, ...
with a pair of trumpets. Louis-Hector Berlioz (1803–69), César Franck (1822–90) and Georges Bizet (1838–1875) were early champions of the cornet, and it was also used successfully by Edward Elgar (1857–1934) and Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971). The trumpet was slower to develop into a suitably flexible instrument, so cornets were often used as substitutes, particularly in the United States ...
The shofar is a ram’s horn used as a musical instrument in Judaism. Broadly speaking, it was sounded at times of ceremony, such as the celebration of the new moon, at times of great significance, such as a drought or famine, and as a signal for war. Today, its use in secular contexts has largely ...
infrequent until the arrival of the great soloists of the twentieth century – such as Pablo Casals and Yo-Yo Ma – encouraged a cluster of works from the likes of Edward Elgar and Shostakovich. By contrast, Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos uses eight cellos and no other instruments to support a soprano voice in his ‘Cantilena’ from Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5. Dobro The ...
of the twentieth century, the violin was the major solo instrument – a position it has yet to relinquish. Outstanding examples of the concerto repertoire include Beethoven, Edward Elgar (1857–1934), Alban Berg (1885–1935), Felix Mendelssohn (1809–47), Johannes Brahms (1833–97), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–93) and Jean Sibelius (1865–1957). The Viola The viola is the alto member of the violin family. ...
Façade (1926), instrumental music accompanying rhythmically declaimed poems by Edith Sitwell, but his astringently melancholy Viola Concerto (1929, first performed with Hindemith as violist) demonstrated affinities with both Elgar and Prokofiev. The short and powerful oratorio Belshazzar’s Feast (1931) blew an enlivening blast of fresh air through the venerable English choral tradition, and his tense First Symphony (1935) ...
television. The warm, mellow theme creates a sense of well-being in the listener that has ensured its continuing success. Introduction | Late Romantic | Classical Personalities | (Sir) Edward Elgar | Late Romantic | Classical ...
1875–1962 American violinist Kreisler’s international career began with the Berlin Philharmonic under Nikisch in 1899. His London debut was in 1902. Elgar wrote his Violin Concerto for him, and he gave the first performance in 1910. He was known for the perfection of his playing and the pieces that he composed and passed off as the work of eighteenth-century composers. ...
1945–87 English cellist Du Pré studied with William Pleeth and made her debut in London in 1961. At the age of 20 she recorded the Elgar Cello Concerto under Sir John Barbirolli. She was married to Barenboim, who often accompanied her as pianist and conductor. Her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis. Introduction | Contemporary | Classical Personalities | ...
1879–1962 English composer Ireland’s style is fundamentally English, drawing on his teacher, Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924), and on Edward Elgar (1857–1934), but he was fruitfully aware of Ravel and Debussy and, more guardedly, of the young Stravinsky. His attractive Piano Concerto (1930), London overture (1936) and his Satyricon (1946) have an agreeable wit; in other works he ...
1912–53 English contralto Ferrier sang in concerts during World War II and made her opera debut in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia at Glyndebourne in 1946. The two performances she sang at Covent Garden in 1953 were her last appearances in public before her death from cancer. She was a famous Angel in Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, and recorded ...
Marriage have to find the light of self and mutual understanding by way of knowledge and communication. Boasting a bucolic setting and lush, lyric and tonal beauty reminiscent of Elgar, The Midsummer Marriage was not an immediate success, yet it has become one of Tippett’s most important operatic works. In all, he composed five operas, each ...
and in New York in 1926. He made his debut in Paris in 1927, in Berlin in 1928 and in London in 1929. His famous 1932 recording of the Elgar concerto under the composer’s baton is still in the catalogue. He gave many concerts for Allied troops during the war. He settled in London in 1959, and devoted the ...
compelling grandeur and characteristic simplicity of manner. ‘The Symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.’ Gustav Mahler Leading Exponents Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Gabriel Fauré Antonín Dvořák Edward Elgar Giacomo Puccini Gustav Mahler Hugo Wolf Richard Strauss Jean Sibelius Carl Nielsen Leoš Janáček Alexander Scriabin Sergey Vasilyevich Rachmaninov Late Romantic Style Late Romantic compositions are defined by dramatic dynamics ...
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