Both works on this album, Elgar's Enigma Variations and Introduction & Allegro, were recorded live at the Barbican, London.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Elgar stated that the 'Enigma' theme expressed his "sense of the loneliness of the artist" at the time it was written.
Composition History
The 'Enigma' Variations began as an improvisatory doodling at the piano by Elgar, which his wife Alice encouraged him to develop.
Compositional Technique
The 'Enigma' Variations contain 13 vivid musical portraits of Elgar's closest friends, which build up to the Finale.
Performer Biography
Sir Colin Davis, the conductor on this album, was President of the London Symphony Orchestra and had previously served as its Principal Conductor from 1995 to 2006.
Composer Biography
Elgar, largely self-taught as a player and composer, compared his early teaching experience to "turning a grindstone with a dislocated shoulder."
Compositional Technique
Elgar's Introduction and Allegro for Strings is scored for string quartet and string orchestra divisi throughout, showcasing his firsthand knowledge as a former violinist.
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