Elgar Studies

Edward Elgar rose from obscurity to become the most popular English composer of his day. Elgar's music is known world-wide and works such as the 'Enigma Variations' and 'The Dream of Gerontius' together with the two symphonies and the two concertos have established him as one of the greatest British composers of all time. The Elgar Society was founded in 1951 to further the cause of Elgar's music and the present volume of essays has been compiled as an expression of gratitude for the work that it has done. These essays reflect the variety and richness of Elgar's music and the debate that this music continues to encourage. The book is not simply for academics however; lovers of music in general will find much to entertain them and it will add greatly to our appreciation of Elgar.

Contents: Foreword - Sir Yehudi Menuhin; Preface - Raymond Monk; Elgar's musical apprenticeship - Peter Dennison; Elgar's harmonic language - Ian Parrott; 'King Olaf' and the English choral tradition - Michael Pope; Friends pictured within - Percy M. Young; Elgar the Edwardian - Michael Kennedy; Elgar's Magus and Projector - Robert Anderson; Elgar and Falstaff - Diana McVeagh; Elgar and the wonderful stranger: Music for 'The Starlight Express' - K.E.L. Simmons; Shaw and Elgar - Ronald Taylor; Some Elgar Interpreters - Michael Kennedy; Envoy - Jerrold Northrop Moore; Select Discography - John Knowles.

Raymond Monk