Elgar Britten
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EDWARD ELGAR 1857 – 1934 01 15:24 Introduction and Allegro for string quartet and string orchestra, Op.47 (1904 – 1905) BENJAMIN BRITTEN 1913 – 1976 27:28 Our Hunting Fathers Op.8 (1936) (Words by W.H. Auden) 02 2:16 Prologue 03 4:10 Rats Away! 04 6:35 Messalina 05 6:28 Dance of Death 06 7:58 Epilogue and Funeral March ELGAR EDWARD ELGAR 1857 – 1934 32:08 Variations on an Original Theme, ‘Enigma’, for orchestra Op.36 (1898 – 1899) INTRODUCTION AND ALLEGRO 07 1:27 1a Theme 08 1:53 1b CAE ENIGMA VARIATIONS 09 0:47 HDS-P 10 1:28 RBT BRITTEN 11 0:32 WMB OUR HUNTING FATHERS 12 2:03 RPA 13 1:28 Ysobel 14 0:58 Troyte 15 2:01 WN HEATHER HARPER soprano 16 4:13 Nimrod BERNARD HAITINK conductor 17 2:43 Dorabella LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 18 0:59 GRS 19 2:44 BGN 20 3:06 *** 21 5:39 EDU HEATHER HARPER soprano BERNARD HAITINK conductor LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA David Nolan leader LPO – 0002 ELGAR Introduction and Allegro and Variations on an Original Theme ‘Enigma’ BRITTEN Our Hunting Fathers Elgar represented the Victorians’ dream come The fourteen variations are mostly short Far from being a glorification of hunting for it is the soprano who expresses the mood. true: at last an English composer to rival the and descriptive of some of his friends’ pleasure, Britten composed a celebration A tired ‘Whurret’ is heard followed by the names Germans. But Elgar can also be viewed as a characteristics and mannerisms, such as the of the act of hunting in all its gory glory. of some of the dogs who come to receive praise historical figure and his music as evidence of laughter of Winifred Norbury in the eighth Commissioned by Norfolk and Norwich from the hunter. Finally comes the victory the mood of his times. Born into a middle class variation and the attractive stammer of Dora Triennial Festival in 1936, it was Britten’s first flight of the hawk on the last high ‘Whurret’. family in the music business, he grew up in Penny in the tenth. The ninth, Nimrod, the large work for orchestra and remains one As it makes its soft landing on the hunter’s musical surroundings, even playing the violin longest and best known of the variations, of his most creative, savage and tender as glove, the orchestra imitates the soprano and in the orchestra at the Three Choirs Festival. represents a discussion about Beethoven well as more difficult pieces to perform. closes the song. The final movement is also between Elgar and his publisher, Alfred Jaeger. Hence its relatively rare appearances on the an Epilogue in the form of a recitative as in the Elgar’s music is full of the confidence of the The eleventh variation portrays George Sinclair, concert platform. beginning. Quietly, like an animal integrating prevailing mood of the time. The Introduction organist of Hereford Cathedral, and in into the thickest forest, the music loses itself and Allegro, composed in 1905, is a delightfully particular his bulldog, Dan, as the dog falls After the ominous minor chord of the opening, among the foliage. pastoral string work, unusually scored for into the river Wye. W.H. Auden’s poem serves as a dark Prologue, string quartet and orchestra which are full of premonitions in the text, wonderfully Eduardo Benarroch combined and contrasted in the manner The initials on Elgar’s original sketch and the scored for voice in the form of recitative. of the concerto grosso. presence of a quote from Mendelssohn’s Calm In Rats away! the soprano seems to try to sea and prosperous voyage in the thirteenth dodge the rats coming at her from every The Variations on an Original Theme is arguably variation, seemed to indicate that it was direction as she prays for salvation before Elgar’s most often played work. In each dedicated to Lady Mary Lygon, a friend who exclaiming a rather relieved ‘Amen!’at the movement Elgar depicted an unnamed friend was about to sail to Australia. On the final end. Messalina is the name of a small child but, from the initials given and other clues, score, however, the initials were replaced by who has lost her pet monkey. A beautiful we have been able to identify most of the three asterisks and it has been suggested and tender vocal line provides a welcome people involved. However, although the that it could be dedicated to Helen Weaver, to respite after dealing with the disgusting rats. ‘enigma’ of the theme has been the subject whom Elgar had once been engaged but who Thomas Ravenscroft’s Dance of Death, its of much speculation, no definitive answer has later emigrated to New Zealand. There is no fourth movement, depicts a hunt with dogs been found. Premièred by Hans Richter in doubt that, enigma or not, Elgar succeeded and hawks, all called by their individual names 1899 at St James’s Hall in London, the Enigma in creating a work of music which can stand by the soprano who guides them, coaxes them Variations is typical of Elgar’s music – a mixture shoulder to shoulder with the best orchestral and sets them up for their prey. The jolly march of strength and sentimentality with beautiful works of its time. which sets the party on its way leads into the tunes and great dollops of brass. sudden wild chase. At the end of the chase PROLOGUE RATS AWAY! I command all the rats that are hereabout That none dwell in this place, within or without: Through the virtue of Jesus that Mary bore, Whom all creatures must ever adore; They are our past and our future; the poles between which our desire And through the virtue of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, unceasingly is discharged. All four Archangels that are as one; A desire in which love and hatred so perfectly oppose themselves, Through the virtue of Saint Gertrude, that maid clean, that we cannot voluntarily move, but await the extraordinary compulsion God grant in grace of the deluge and the earthquake. That no rats dwell in the place Their finish has inspired the limits of all arts and ascetic movements. That these names were uttered in; Their affections and indifferences have been a guide to all reformers And through the virtue of Saint Kasi, and tyrants. That holy man who prayed to God Almighty Their appearances in our dreams of machinery have brought a vision Of the scathes they did of nude and fabulous epochs. His meadows amid O pride so hostile to our charity. By day and by night. But what their pride has retained we may by charity more generously God bid them flee and go out of every man’s sight. recover. Dominus, Deus, Sabaoth, Emmanuel, great name of God, Deliver this place from rats and from all other shame. God save this place from all other wicked wights Both by days and by nights. Et in Nomine Patris et Filii et Sancti Spiriti, Amen. W.H. Auden (1907 – 1973) Anon., modernised by W.H. Auden MESSALINA DANCEOFDEATH (Hawking for the Partridge) Whurret! Duty Beauty Quando Timble Travel Trover Jew Damsel Hey dogs hey! Ware haunt hey! Sith sickles and the shearing scythe Hath shorn the fields of late, Ay me, alas, heigh ho, heigh ho! Now shall our hawks and we be blithe, Thus doth Messalina go Dame Partridge ware your pate! Up and down the house a-crying, Our murdering kites For her monkey lies a-dying. In all their flights Death, thou art too cruel Will seld or never miss To bereave her of her jewel; To truss you ever and make your bale our bliss. Or to make a seizure Whurret! Wanton Sugar Mistress Of her only treasure. Sempster Faver Minx If her monkey die Callis Dover Sant She will sit and cry: Dancer Jerker Quoy Fie, fie, fie, fie, fie! Whurret! Tricker Crafty Minion Dido Civil Lemmon Cherry Carver Courtier Stately Ruler German let fly! O well flown, eager kite, mark! We falconers thus make sullen kites Yield pleasure fit for kings, And sport with them in those delights, And oft in other things. Anon. Thomas Ravenscroft (c.1592 – 1635) EPILOGUE Our hunting fathers told the story Of the sadness of the creatures, Pitied the limits and the lack Set in their finished features; Saw in the lion’s intolerant look, Behind the quarry’s dying glare, Love raging for the personal glory That reason’s gift would add, The liberal appetite and power, The rightness of a god. Who nurtured in that fine tradition Predicted the result, Guessed love by nature suited to The intricate ways of guilt; That human company could so His southern gestures modify And make it his mature ambition To think no thought but ours, To hunger, work illegally, And be anonymous? W.H. Auden Reproduced with permission of Curtis Brown Group Ltd., London On behalf of the Estate of W.H. Auden The London Philharmonic Orchestra © W.H. Auden 1934 with Bernard Haitink Stuart Robinson Peter Grimes and Don Carlos with The Royal No other British singer ever covered as Kurt Masur has been the Orchestra’s Principal Opera; Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte and Figaro much repertoire and at such a high level of Conductor since September 2000, extending with Glyndebourne; and the complete Ring performance as she did. A Strauss specialist, the line of distinguished conductors who have cycle with the Bayerische Rundfunk. Those she sang roles ranging from The Empress held positions with the Orchestra since its with the London Philharmonic Orchestra have in Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten and Elsa foundation in 1932 by Sir Thomas Beecham.