Twilight (Elgar)
Encyclopedia
"Twilight" is a song with music by the English composer Edward Elgar
written in 1910 as his Op. 59, No. 6. Elgar set the words of the poem "The Twilight of Love", from Volume 2 of a series of poems called "Embers" by Sir Gilbert Parker
.
The Opus 59 songs were part of a song-cycle of six romantic songs by Parker that was never completed – Nos 1, 2 and 4 were never composed. The other songs were "Oh, soft was the song
" and "Was it some Golden Star?
". The songs were originally written with piano accompaniment, but this was later re-scored by the composer for full orchestra.
The songs were composed between December 1909 and January 1910, and published by Novello's in 1910. The first performance was by Muriel Foster
at the Jaeger Memorial Concert in the Queen's Hall
on 24 January 1910.
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...
written in 1910 as his Op. 59, No. 6. Elgar set the words of the poem "The Twilight of Love", from Volume 2 of a series of poems called "Embers" by Sir Gilbert Parker
Gilbert Parker
Sir Horatio Gilbert George Parker, 1st Baronet PC , known as Gilbert Parker, Canadian novelist and British politician, was born at Camden East, Addington, Ontario, the son of Captain J. Parker, R.A....
.
The Opus 59 songs were part of a song-cycle of six romantic songs by Parker that was never completed – Nos 1, 2 and 4 were never composed. The other songs were "Oh, soft was the song
Oh, soft was the song
"Oh, soft was the song" is a song with words by Gilbert Parker set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1910, as his Op. 59, No. 3. It is the second and last verse of a poem "At Sea" which Parker published in Volume I of a series of poems called "Embers"...
" and "Was it some Golden Star?
Was it some Golden Star?
"Was it some Golden Star?" is a poem written by Gilbert Parker, published in Volume I of a series of poems called "Embers". It was set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1910, as his Op. 59, No. 5....
". The songs were originally written with piano accompaniment, but this was later re-scored by the composer for full orchestra.
The songs were composed between December 1909 and January 1910, and published by Novello's in 1910. The first performance was 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 Jaeger Memorial Concert in the Queen's Hall
Queen's Hall
The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect T.E. Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it was the home of the promenade concerts founded by Robert...
on 24 January 1910.
Lyrics
TWILIGHT- Adieu! and the sun goes awearily down,
- The mist creeps up o'er the sleepy town,
- The white sails bend to the shuddering mere,
- And the reapers have reaped, and the night is here.
- Adieu! and the years are a broken song,
- The right grows weak in the strife with wrong,
- The lilies of love have a crimson stain,
- And the old days never will come again.
- Adieu! Some time shall the veil between
- The things that are, and that might have been,
- Be folded back for our eyes to see,
- And the meaning of all be clear to me.
Recordings
- Elgar: Complete Songs for Voice & Piano Amanda Roocroft (soprano), Reinild Mees (piano)
- The Songs of Edward Elgar SOMM CD 220 Christopher Maltman (baritone) with Malcolm Martineau (piano), at Southlands College, London, April 1999