Edward Elgar
1857-1934

Perhaps one of the greatest English composers ever, Edward Elgar has composed many famous and fascinating works. At first, he was thought to be an extremely minor role in the vast canvas of music. This is due mostly to the fact that he was an Englishman, and there were certainly uncountable composers of Europe, but never one from England. He learned music from his father, a music dealer, organist, and violinist in Worcester. Elgar at one time played the bassoon and picked up enough piano technique to become a talented club accompanist. While he composed and studied, Elgar became a clerk in a law office to support himself. Once he was recognized more as a person with musical qualities, he became the conductor of the Amateur Instrumental Society.

At thirty-two, Elgar married, but was still unknown and little-employed as a musician. Everyone knew that England was a good place for composers only if you were a foreigner or your name was Sir Arthur Sullivan. Elgar, determined to prove them wrong, creating his concert overture, Froissrt, in 1890, achieving small success. Soon, six chorale works followed which helped build his reputation. But when his Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra (usually known as the "Enigma" Variations) was performed, the critics slowly began to realize that a musical talent was forming in, (out of all places), England.

This work, one of Elgar's most common performed orchestral pieces today, consists of a series of fourteen variations, each dedicated to a friend except for the last, dedicated to himself. The "enigma," or puzzle, of the composition that baffles even the best of composers and musicians to day is: "What is the unknown theme that Elgar said underlies the whole work?" We all know that variations contain a set theme, in which the composers alters, but the theme of the Enigma Variations is one that even the best ears of the world still cannot figure out.

As for the Londoners reactions to the masterpieces, it was very ironic that England was the last country in Europe to marvel at the brilliant talent of the man named Elgar. While pursuing a career as a composer of large-scale choral works, Elgar stumbled upon several instrumental works which brought him more fame than anything else he wrote. In 1901 he composed the concert overture Cockaigne, subtitled "In London Town" - which described dazzlingly the great English city. In the same year, two marches for orchestra under the title of Pomp and Circumstance were premiered at a promenade concert. And when asked to provide a ceremonial ode in honor of the coronation of Edward VII, he used, in part, the strong, singable melody of Pomp and Circumstance. That same theme we here most often at times of graduation ceremonies.

Elgar was a man who proved the denied, that Englishmen could never be great composers. He proved it well, now earning the same recognition as the German greats Schuman and Brahms. The "English Concervative" was his name, along with rightfully earning the name of Sir Edward Elgar by the royal family of England.

© 1999 H.Tsai

Some Famous Works:
Imperial March
From"Pomp and Circumstance":
First Movement
Fourth Movement

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