The Cambridge Companion to Elgar (Cambridge Companions to Music)
Cambridge University Press, 1/6/2005
EAN 9780521826235, ISBN10: 0521826233
Hardcover, 278 pages, 24.4 x 17 x 1.7 cm
Language: English
Edward Elgar occupies a pivotal place in the British cultural imagination. His music has been heard as emblematic of Empire and the English landscape. The recent success of Anthony Payne's elaboration of the sketches for Elgar's Third Symphony has prompted a critical revaluation of his music. This Companion provides an accessible and vivid account of Elgar's work in its historical and cultural context. Established authorities on British music and scholars new in the field examine Elgar's music from a range of critical perspectives, including nationalism, post-colonialism, decadence, reception and musical influences. There are also chapters on interpretation, including his own (Elgar was the first major composer to commit a representative quantity of his own work to record), and on Elgar's relationships with the BBC and with his publishers. The book includes much new material, drawing on original research, as well as providing a comprehensive introduction to Elgar's major musical achievements.
Notes on contributors
Acknowledgements
Bibliographical abbreviations
Chronology
List of volumes in the Elgar Complete Edition (Elgar Society Edition)
1. Introduction Daniel M. Grimley and Julian Rushton
2. Elgar and his British contemporaries Jeremy Dibble
3. Elgar and his publishers Robert Anderson
4. Magic by mosaic
some aspects of Elgar's compositional methods Christopher Kent
5. Elgar's musical language
the shorter instrumental works Diana McVeagh
6. The early choral works Robin Holloway
7. Elgar's later oratorios
Roman Catholicism, decadence and the Wagnerian dialectic of shame and grace Byron Adams
8. Roman Catholicism and being musically English
Elgar's church and organ music John Butt
9. 'A smiling with a sigh'
the chamber music and works for strings Daniel M. Grimley
10. In search of the symphony
orchestral music to 1908 Julian Rushton
11. Orchestral music from 1908–34 Christopher Mark
12. Elgar's unwumbling
the theatre music J. P. E. Harper-Scott
13. Elgar and recording Timothy Day
14. Elgar and the BBC Jenny Doctor
15. Elgar's German critics Aidan Thomson
16. Functional music
imperialism, the Great War, and Elgar as popular composer Charles Edward McGuire
Notes
Select bibliograpy
Index.