The River (Elgar)
Encyclopedia
"The River" is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar
in 1909 as his Op.60, No.2.
On the title-page it is described as a "Folk-Song (Eastern Europe), paraphrased by Pietro d’Alba and Edward Elgar".
It was one of a set of a cycle of four songs that he planned, to his own words. It was shortly after writing the song A Child Asleep
for Muriel Foster
, a few days before the Christmas of 1909 that Elgar received the news of the death of a friend the soprano Olga Ouroussoff, the young wife of Henry Wood
. The inspiration for the songs was the result of this news. Only the first song of the cycle, The Torch
and the last, The River were written.
It was orchestrated in July 1912 and, with its companion song The Torch
, it was first performed by Muriel Foster
at the Hereford Music Festival on 11 November 1912.
A footnote to the poem explains the personification of the invoked river. The tempo of the music is an appropriately dramatic Allegro con fuoco.
The song was written by Elgar at his home "Plas Gwyn" outside Hereford
, very close to the River Wye
and it is likely that the song was inspired by the sight of the river which had flooded the fields that Christmas.
At the end of the manuscript Elgar wrote (Leyrisch-Turasp 1909), which mysterious "place-name" Jerrold Northrop Moore suggests was Elgar's anagram
of a German version of Peter Rabbit
: Petrus Has[e] Lyric. However Garry Humphreys points out that Elgar's home was not far from the flood-meadows at Tupsley, and Leyrisch-Turasp is another (loose) anagram of Tupsley Parish. Another of Elgar's riddles.
NOTE-… “The river was in full flood and, had it remained so another twenty-four hours,
would undoubtedly have overwhelmed the enemy : but it sank far below its normal level
more rapidly than it had risen three days before.”
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...
in 1909 as his Op.60, No.2.
On the title-page it is described as a "Folk-Song (Eastern Europe), paraphrased by Pietro d’Alba and Edward Elgar".
It was one of a set of a cycle of four songs that he planned, to his own words. It was shortly after writing the song A Child Asleep
A Child Asleep
"A Child Asleep" is a song, with lyrics from a poem written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It was set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in December 1909 and published in 1910 by Novello...
for Muriel Foster
Muriel Foster
Muriel Foster was an English contralto, excelling in oratorio. Grove's Dictionary describes her voice as "one of the most beautiful voices of her time"....
, a few days before the Christmas of 1909 that Elgar received the news of the death of a friend the soprano Olga Ouroussoff, the young wife of Henry Wood
Henry Wood (conductor)
Sir Henry Joseph Wood, CH was an English conductor best known for his association with London's annual series of promenade concerts, known as the Proms. He conducted them for nearly half a century, introducing hundreds of new works to British audiences...
. The inspiration for the songs was the result of this news. Only the first song of the cycle, The Torch
The Torch (Elgar)
"The Torch" is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1909 as his Op.60, No.1.The manuscript is dated 23 December 1909.On the title-page, the song is dedicated "To YVONNE", and it is described as a "Folk-Song , paraphrased by Pietro d’Alba and Edward Elgar".It was one of a set of a...
and the last, The River were written.
It was orchestrated in July 1912 and, with its companion song The Torch
The Torch (Elgar)
"The Torch" is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1909 as his Op.60, No.1.The manuscript is dated 23 December 1909.On the title-page, the song is dedicated "To YVONNE", and it is described as a "Folk-Song , paraphrased by Pietro d’Alba and Edward Elgar".It was one of a set of a...
, it was first performed by Muriel Foster
Muriel Foster
Muriel Foster was an English contralto, excelling in oratorio. Grove's Dictionary describes her voice as "one of the most beautiful voices of her time"....
at the Hereford Music Festival on 11 November 1912.
A footnote to the poem explains the personification of the invoked river. The tempo of the music is an appropriately dramatic Allegro con fuoco.
The song was written by Elgar at his home "Plas Gwyn" outside Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, very close to the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
and it is likely that the song was inspired by the sight of the river which had flooded the fields that Christmas.
At the end of the manuscript Elgar wrote (Leyrisch-Turasp 1909), which mysterious "place-name" Jerrold Northrop Moore suggests was Elgar's anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of a German version of Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit is a fictional anthropomorphic character in various children's stories by Beatrix Potter. He first appeared in The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902, and subsequently in five more books between 1904 and 1912. Spinoff merchandise includes dishes, wallpaper, and dolls...
: Petrus Has[e] Lyric. However Garry Humphreys points out that Elgar's home was not far from the flood-meadows at Tupsley, and Leyrisch-Turasp is another (loose) anagram of Tupsley Parish. Another of Elgar's riddles.
Lyrics
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- THE RIVER*
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- River, mother of fighting men, (Rustula !)
- Sternest barrier of our land, (Rustula !)
- From thy bosom we drew life :
- Ancient, honoured, mighty, grand !
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- Rustula !
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- Ancient, honoured, mighty, grand !
- Oh ! what worship had been thine, (Rustula !)
- Hadst thou held the foe-men, drowned ; (Rustula !)
- Flood, more precious far than wine,
- Victress, saviour, world-renowned !
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- Rustula !
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- Victress, saviour, world-renowned !
- Rustula !
- Like a girl before her lover, (Rustula !)
- How thou falterdst, - like a slave ; - (Rustula !)
- Sank and fainted, low and lower,
- When thy mission was to save.
- Coward, traitress, shameless !
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- Rustula !
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- Coward, traitress, shameless !
- When thy mission was to save.
- On thy narrowed, niggard strand, (Rustula !)
- Despairing - now the tyrant's hand (Rustula!)
- Grips the last remnant of our land,
- Wounded and alone I stand,
- Tricked, derided, impotent !
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- Rustula !
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- Tricked, derided, impotent !
- Wounded and alone I stand,
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- Pietro d’Alba.
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- From a Folk-Song (Eastern Europe)
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- (Leyrisch-Turasp, 1909)
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NOTE-… “The river was in full flood and, had it remained so another twenty-four hours,
would undoubtedly have overwhelmed the enemy : but it sank far below its normal level
more rapidly than it had risen three days before.”
Recordings
- Elgar: The Collector's Edition, CD 29 Robert Tear (tenor), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Vernon Handley (conductor)
- The Songs of Edward Elgar SOMM CD 220 Neil Mackie (tenor) with Malcolm Martineau (piano), at Southlands College, London, April 1999