Cello Concerto - Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

Elgar was born into a musical family in the small village of Broadheath a few miles from the Cathedral City of Worcester. His father, who owned a music shop in Worcester and supplemented his income by tuning pianos, encouraged his son's early interest in music. The wealth of material available in the shop for a budding musician included a large stock of sheet music and orchestral instruments, many of which Elgar taught himself to play. This hands-on experience served him well in later years; it is universally agreed that he had an insight into the art of orchestration which can come only from a thorough understanding of the qualities, range and expression of each instrument of the orchestra. Whilst teaching himself the essentials of composition, Elgar earned a living giving violin lessons, composing for and conducting local groups and playing the organ at St. George's Roman Catholic Church in Worcester. Gaining recognition beyond the environs of provincial Worcestershire was a slow and sometimes painful process but slowly the musical establishment began to realise that Elgar had something very special to offer. The "Enigma Variations", first performed in 1899, showed the world that this was no ordinary musician. Two other masterpieces, "Sea Pictures" and "The Dream of Gerontius" confirmed his emergence and, although the first performance of "Gerontius" was inadequately prepared, further hearings abroad were successful - after the Dusseldorf performance in 1902, Richard Strauss was full of praise for this "first progressive English musician". The Overture "Cockaigne" was followed by the first two "Pomp and Circumstance Marches". Elgar knew well that he had a memorable tune in the D major March, "I've got a tune that will knock 'em - knock 'em flat". Major works followed in a triumphant stream from the "Introduction and Allegro for Strings" to the 1908 First Symphony - the latter introduced by the great German conductor Hans Richter to the members of the Hallé Orchestra as, "the greatest symphony of modern times, written by the greatest modern composer - and not only in this country".

Elgar's two great concertos for violin and cello fittingly have close associations with two of the finest virtuosi this country has ever produced, Yehudi Menuhin and Jacqueline du Pré. Menuhin's youthful recording of the Violin Concerto, conducted by the composer, never fails to move; the whole nation took Jacqueline du Pré to heart when she was stricken by illness while still a young woman at the height of her career. Her performances of the Cello Concerto are the benchmark for all aspiring soloists.

After the solemn, declamatory opening of the Concerto, the violas state the main theme of the ensuing music. It is a delight to trace the wonderful interplay of voices between the cello and the orchestra. Here is true spiritual integration so very unlike the more traditional soloist versus orchestra dialogue. The second main idea, introduced by clarinets and bassoons, is lovingly explored by all the participants before a brief reference to the opening mood prefaces the bubbling, brilliantly virtuosic second movement. The solo cello seems to be flying in a sort of perpetual motion supported by the most subtle colouring from the orchestra. The short slow movement is almost painful in its poignancy and intensity of expression - surely here Elgar speaks to all mankind and especially to our natural English reserve. The outer sections of the finale show Elgar in more of a flamboyant vein. However, he has not finished tugging at the heart-strings. Just before the triumphant ending, there is a passage of unbelievable depth.

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