Edward Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance

Edward Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance (5 marches for orchestra Op. 39) - No. 01

Edward Elgar

3 comments

Twenty Pound Note

Edward Elgar and Olivier Messiaen's "Quatuor pour la fin du temps" (quartet for the end of time) came highly recommended from that woman I mentioned earlier.

I was actually surprise to find out that Sir Edward Elgar is quite famous, although I've never heard of this dude! When I did manage to hear some of his pieces, I realized that I knew that "Pomp & Circumstance Marches" song right away. I mean who hasn't heard that graduation song in the last 100 years?

I was looking specifically for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording, but instead you're just going to have to put up with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra version - in D major (conducted by Andre Previn).

The title of the five marches comes from William Shakespeare's Othello:

"Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!".

Trivia: Edward Elgar is on the twenty pound note (at least until last year)!

Pomp And Circumstance, Marches #1,2,3,&4

4 comments

Lindsay Erika wrote: May 8, 2007 at 2:32 AM

[this is good] As an Anglophile, of course I know Elgar. ~_^ He is one of my favourites, and the only composer in my mind that can stand up to the Russians (Tchiakovsky, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky...). Here is Pomp and Circumstance as recorded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Fantasia 2000. I've also uploaded March 1 and March 2 from a late 80s BBC Symphony Orchestra recording. (Anyway, if memory serves, this is the album I got them from.)

And one of my particular favourite Elgar pieces is The Crown of India. Thanks for reminding me how much I love this guy.

TaraLynn wrote: May 8, 2007 at 3:15 AM

Elgar's one of my favorites, too, -a highly imaginitive man! Check out "The Wand of Youth" next. It's based on a story he wrote as a teenager about a world where no grumpy adults could go. He was quite fixated the preservation of innocence.

The Enigma Variations are also incredible. But "thedharmablues" mentioned the queen.... Elgar wrote "the Nursury Suite" and dedicated to Princess Margaret, her older sister Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) and their mother. Elizabeth had it performed at her Sweet 16 gala later on.

I've been lucky to be inundated with Elgar. I'm on-air from midnight till 5:30AM EST... Check it out sometime; You can listen online: TheClassicalStation.org

eliz. s. wrote: May 8, 2007 at 8:41 AM

I actually prefer the Enigma Variations to his Pomp and Circumstance. I've posted the Nimrod variation on my vox, as it's my favorite.

vu Links: www.elgar.org