Serenade for Strings (Elgar)
Encyclopedia
Serenade for Strings in E minor
, Op. 20, is a piece for string orchestra in three short movements, by Edward Elgar
.
It was written in March 1892 and first performed in private in that year, by the Worcester
Ladies' Orchestral Class, with the composer conducting. It received its first public performance in Antwerp, Belgium
on 21 July 1896.
Dedicated to the philosopher W. H. Whinfield, it is approximately 12 minutes in duration.
Although not formally published until 1892, the Serenade is believed to be a reworking of a suite Elgar had written some years earlier, before he had firmly set his sights on a career as a composer. Apart from the Wand of Youth suites, it is therefore probably the earliest of his compositions to survive into the standard repertoire. Certainly, it has a youthful charm while at the same time displaying indications of the skills Elgar developed as he progressed towards musical maturity. It is reportedly the first of his compositions with which he professed himself satisfied.
The central Larghetto is generally accepted as containing the work's finest and most mature writing. The work remains among the most frequently performed of all his music.
The first movement begins in 6/8 time with a rhythmic figure. The second movement is in 2/4 time; it is closest to the mature Elgar in style. The third movement begins in 12/8 time, changing to 6/8 on the reappearance of the theme of the first movement.
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
, Op. 20, is a piece for string orchestra in three short movements, by Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
.
It was written in March 1892 and first performed in private in that year, by the Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
Ladies' Orchestral Class, with the composer conducting. It received its first public performance in Antwerp, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on 21 July 1896.
Dedicated to the philosopher W. H. Whinfield, it is approximately 12 minutes in duration.
Although not formally published until 1892, the Serenade is believed to be a reworking of a suite Elgar had written some years earlier, before he had firmly set his sights on a career as a composer. Apart from the Wand of Youth suites, it is therefore probably the earliest of his compositions to survive into the standard repertoire. Certainly, it has a youthful charm while at the same time displaying indications of the skills Elgar developed as he progressed towards musical maturity. It is reportedly the first of his compositions with which he professed himself satisfied.
The central Larghetto is generally accepted as containing the work's finest and most mature writing. The work remains among the most frequently performed of all his music.
Structure
- Allegro piacevole
- Larghetto
- Allegretto
The first movement begins in 6/8 time with a rhythmic figure. The second movement is in 2/4 time; it is closest to the mature Elgar in style. The third movement begins in 12/8 time, changing to 6/8 on the reappearance of the theme of the first movement.
External links
- Recording by A Far Cry from the Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner MuseumThe Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or Fenway Court, as the museum was known during Isabella Stewart Gardner's lifetime, is a museum in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Arts and near the Back Bay Fens...
in MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format - Programme notes from BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...