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Home , Falstaff (Elgar), Percy Hull

SRCD.301 STEREO ADD

SIR (1857-1934) . Symphonic Study Op.68 (1913) (33’19”) Elgar 1 I Falstaff and Prince Henry —an apartment of the Prince’s (2’58”) 2 II Eastcheap—Gadshill—The Boar’s Head. Revelry and sleep — (15’07”) Symphonic Study Dream Interlude: ‘Jack Falstaff, now Sir John, a boy, and page Falstaff to Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk Variations on an original theme 3 III Falstaff’s march —Return through Gloucestershire — (6’30”) Enigma Interlude: Shallow’s orchard—The new King —The ride to London March No.5 4 IV King ’s progress to his Coronation — (8’44”) Pomp and Circumstance The repudiation of Falstaff, and his death Enigma. Variations on an original Theme Op.36 (1899) (29’46”) 5 Theme Andante (1’27”) 14 IX (Nimrod) Adagio (3’20”) 6 I (C.A.E.) L’istesso tempo (1’41”) 15 X (Dorabella) Intermezzo-andante (2’36”) 7 II (H.D.S-P.) Allegro (0’45”) 16 XI (G.R.S.) Allegro di molto (0’56”) 8 III (R.B.T.) Allegretto (1’22”) 17 XII (B.G .N.) Andante (2’49”) 9 IV (W.M.B.) Allegro di molto (0’28”) 19 XIII (***) Romanza-moderato (2’42”) 10 V (R.P.A.) Moderato (2’09”) 19 XIV (E.D.U.) Allegro (5’28”) 11 VI (Ysobel) Andantino (1’18”) 20 Pomp and Circumstance March No.5 12 VII (Troyte) Presto (0’58”) in C Op. 39* (1930) (5’41”) 13 VIII (W.N.) Allegretto (1’40”) (68’46”) New Philharmonia Orchestra (leader Desmond Bradley) conducted by Andrew Davis

The above individual timings will normally each include two pauses. One before the beginning of each movement or work, and one the end. ൿ 1975 * ൿ 1985 The copyright in these sound recordings is owned by Lyrita Recorded Edition, . This compilation and the digital remastering ൿ 2008 Lyrita Recorded Edition, England. © 2008 Lyrita Recorded Edition, England. Lyrita is a registered trade mark. Made in the UK LYRITA RECORDED EDITION. Produced under an exclusive license from Lyrita by Wyastone Estate Ltd, PO Box 87, Monmouth, NP25 3WX, UK New Philharmonia Orchestra • Andrew Davis lgar composed Falstaff in 1913, though he made some sketches in 1902 (the Eyear after Cockaigne, with which Falstaff has several affinities). In his detailed and indispens able analytical note, he emphasised that the listener should forget the buffoon of The Merry Wives of Windsor and concentrate on the Falstaff of Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, and Henry V. He cites ’s description of Falstaff as “a conception hardly less complex, hardly less wonderful than that of Hamlet” made “wholly of incongruities... a knight, a gentleman and a soldier, without either dignity, decency or honour”. Elgar was equally complex, and the work is another, perhaps the greatest, addition to his musical portrait-gallery in which there was always room for self-portraits. Falstaff’s quixotic humour, his dreams of the innocence of youth beyond recall, his delight at being in the apple orchards of the Severn country, are Elgar’s too. This is Elgar’s Falstaff rather than Shakespeare’s. www.lyrita.co.uk Although it plays almost continuously, Falstaff is in four sections, with two Notes ©1975 & 1985 Lyrita Recorded Edition, England interludes. What follows is based on Elgar’s note, except where otherwise stated: Original analogue recording made in association with the NEW PHILHARMONIA TRUST LIMITED

I. Falstaff and Prince Henry—an apartment of the Prince’s. Cover: Westminster Abbey, London. istockphoto.com This establishes the two principal, characters. The work begins with Falstaff’s theme, which appears like a leitmotif, in various shapes and tempi, throughout. Falstaff, & Pomp and Circumstance March No.5 Rec ording location and date: 4-5 January 1974, Walthamstow Assembly Hall. Scored for cellos, basses, clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoons and double bas soon, it Recording Producer: Michael Woolcock represents him “in a green old age, mellow, frank, gay, easy, corpulent, loose, Recording Engineer: Kenneth Wilkinson & John Dunkerley unprincipled and luxurious”. This is followed by two subsidiary themes, the first clearly a Falstaff witticism, the second the uproarious repartee it pro vokes. A Digital Remastering Engineer: Simon Gibson repetition of the main Falstaff theme beneath a series of trills from the violins and Other works by EDWARD ELGAR available on Lyrita: violas leads into ’s theme (“in his most courtly-and genial mood”). 1 & 2 Elgar marvellously suggests the precariousness of this mood: the theme is London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir …………………………………………………………………………SRCD.221 distinctly uncomfortable, for all its opulence. The next Falstaff theme, also for cellos, scherzando and with a splendid glissando, is in E minor and depicts Sir John as cajoling and persuasive. The conversation continues—the wit of the two WARNING Copyright subsists in all Lyrita Recordings. Any unauthorised broadcasting. public subsidiary themes flies thick and fast—but Falstaff’s main theme has the last word. performance, copying, rental or re-recording thereof in any manner whatsoever will constitute an infringement of such copyright. In the United Kingdom licences for the use of recordings for public A brief pause precedes: performance may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd., 1 Upper James Street, London, W1F 9DE 2 7 XIII. (***) Romanza—moderato. Ostensibly about Lady Mary Lygon’s voyage to II. Eastcheap—Gadshill—The Boar’s Head, Revelry and Sleep Australia, hence the throbbing of the ship’s engines and the clarinet Wo odwind and strings play brief, catchy tunes which, Elgar said, “should chatter, quotation from Mendels sohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage. But blaze, glitter and coruscate”. They represent the Prince’s escape from the court to another parting may have been in Elgar’s mind. the free-and-easy streets and taverns of Eastcheap. The tune with a trill for strings XIV. (E.D.U.) Alleg ro. A self-portrait. Elgar grandiosely defies the stands for , Doll Tear-sheet and the other “honest gentlewomen.” discouragement of friends but excepts C.A.E. and Nimrod, whose themes Falstaff himself is there with a new theme which, Elgar said, shows him as “a are recalled. goodly, portly man, of a cheerful look, a pleasing eye, and a most noble carriage” MICHAEL KENNEDY but which Sir , in his brilliant analysis, understandably likened to Falstaff’s belief that “Sighing and grief blow a man up like a bladder” (part of the Elgar liked to think of himself as a composer with the popular touch. Once when hazard of presenting a Falstaff in C minor!) After some fugal badinage comes under pressure he retorted that he wrote the folk songs here, and certainly in the another aspect of Falstaff, molto grandiose e largamente, exhibiting by its Pomp and Circumstance marches he produced a popular artform, of which the trio exaggerated leaps “his boastfulness and colossal mendacity”. This forms the bass tune of the first (as ‘Land of Hope and Glory’) is known by the entire English- to the “portly man” theme when both are combined magnificently for full speaking world.There are five marches. The first four are the product of Edwardian orchestra. A short recapitulation of the Eastcheap music leads into the Gadshill England being written in 1901, 1904 and 1907. Much later, after the death of his wife exploit when Falstaff and his friends (excluding the Prince) set off—to a “cheerful, and with most of his composing career behind him, Sir Percy Hull, the organist of out-of-door ambling theme”, diatonic and unforgettable—to rob a coach. There Cathedral, tried to persuade Elgar to write a fifth march. Wulston Atkins are nocturnal scurryings, and a disguised, perky version of the Prince’s theme tells us how one day in 1930 Elgar was out with his dogs when an idea occurred to (oboe) tells us that he and Poins are waiting to ambush Falstaff and seize their him which he jotted down on the back of his map. This proved to be the opening booty. A fugato depicts the routing of Falstaff. Back at the Boar’s Head, the notes of the fifth —and last—of the marches. It was dedicated to Hull and first given women’s theme leads the revelry, Falstaff’s boast ing theme shows signs of over- in Queen’s Hall on 30 September 1930, Sir Henry Wood conducting. In C major, it indulgence and eventually is given, audibly tipsy, to the bassoon. “Uproarious follows the approach of its predecessors, consisting of a march with contrasting trio, vitality” follows this outburst (superb scoring, particularly for wood wind); Falstaff the latter a typical Elgarian tune that made commentators at the time anticipate it (bassoon) again attempts to speak but is now incoherent; a “nightmare variant” of might supplant the first and fourth in the public’s affection — though, of course this the women’s theme is heard; and, to an augmented version of his main theme, was not to happen. For us today that is to the good for we come to it quite fresh. And Falstaff, snoring loudly, falls asleep. The Dream Interlude, for solo violin and small it is a good tune. orchestra, wistfully recalls Falstaffs youth as page to the Duke of Norfolk. LEWIS FOREMAN

6 3 III. Falstaff’s March—Return Through Gloucestershire—The New King musical portraits of his wife, his friends and himself, the music is self-explanatory, —The Ride to London marvellously scored and shaped. The “Enig ma” is the hauntingly sad original theme, Falstaff awakes, fanfares sound, and after “cajoling” in counterpoint to the two contrasted strains of major and minor, which Elgar intended to rep resent women’s theme, he departs “to take soldiers up in counties as he goes” to fight the himself and “the loneliness of the creative artist”. He was deliberately mystifying rebellion in the West Midlands. A march theme has a slouching sequel (muted about “another and larger theme” which “ ‘goes’ through and over the whole set”. horns) representing Falstaff’s scarecrow army of recruits. The battle reintroduces No one knows what this is. various Falstaff themes and the Eastcheap music; as it subsides the march becomes pastoral and song-like, befitting Gloucestershire, and the “ambling out- Here is a brief synopsis: of-door” theme leads Falstaff to Master Shal low’s Orchard where, in the second I. (C.A.E.) Andante. Elgar’s wife: a simple expansion of the theme, with the Interlude, he lolls in the sun (strings) while pipe (oboe) and tabor play. A warning second strain in E flat. whistle on flute and piccolo betrays Pistol’s presence. With a flurry he announces: II. (H.D.S-P) All egro. Theme in the basses. Hew Steuart-Powell played the “Thy tender lambkin now is King—Harry the Fifth’s the man”. Falstaff’s boastful piano in chamber music with Elgar. theme revels in the news and, to the march, they ride to London by night. III. (R.B.T.) Allegretto. A caricature of R. B. Townshend’s portrayal of an old man in amateur theatricals. IV. Henry V’s Progress to his Coronation—the repudiation of Falstaff, IV. (W.M.B.) Allegro di molto. A country squire, W. M. Baker, reads the day’s and his Death plans to his house guests, inadvertently banging the door behind him. A military march represents the new King’s martial charac ter. Near Westminster Guests laugh (woodwind). Abbey Falstaff and his friends excitedly await his coming, confident of royal V. (R.P.A.) Moderato. Matthew Arnold’s serious son, Richard, discourses in C preferment and chattering about such exploits as Gadshill. The King appears, minor. grandioso (“gorgeous as the sun at midsummer”). Falstaff (main theme) steps VI. (Ysobel) Anda ntino. A viola lesson for Isabel Fitton. forward. The King halts. Fal staffs cajolery is rebuffed by an imperious and brutal VII. (Troyte) Presto. The architect Arthur Troyte Griffith’s “maladroit essays to fanfare: “How ill white hairs become a fool and jester—I banish thee on pain of play the pianoforte”. death”. The royal procession moves on. Falstaff is broken; he still tries to jest but VIII. (W.N.) All egretto. The 18th-century house, “Sherridge” where Winifred there is no heart in it. The Death scene begins with the drowsy music of Shallow’s Norbury lived. Orchard (“ ‘a’ babbled of green fields”). The women’s theme is recalled, and an IX. (Nimrod) Adagio. Elgar’s friend at Novello’s, A. J. Jaeger, talks with Elgar idealised memory of Prince Hal. Falstaff dies to a clarinet solo and a pianissimo about Beethoven slow movements (refer ence to Pathétique sonata). chord of C major on the brass. A drum rolls, the King’s military theme is curtly X. (Dorabella) Intermezzo-andante. Dora Penny’s laugh and slight stammer played, and with a soft pizzicato this masterpiece ends. are gracefully mimicked. XI. (G.R.S.) Allegro di molto. Dan, the bulldog of the organist G. R. Sinclair, Whereas Falstaff needs knowledge of its programme to be fully appreciated, this is swims in the Wye and scrambles out barking. not the case with the Enigma Varia tions (1 899) in which, although Elgar wrote XII. (B.G.N.) Andante. Basil Nevinson was an amateur cellist.

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EDWARD ELGAR NEW PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA LYRITA FALSTAFF / ENIGMA VARIATIONS ANDREW DAVIS SRCD.301