Elgar: Piano Quintet & Violin Sonata

Featuring

Marcia Crayford
Ian Brown
Elizabeth Layton
Roger Chase
Christopher Van Kampen
Nash Ensemble

Edward Elgar

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Compositional Technique

The Piano Quintet integrates themes from its first and second movements into the finale, creating cohesion across the work.

Composition History

Elgar's final burst of creative energy, including these chamber works and the Cello Concerto, occurred in 1918 and 1919, as World War I concluded.

Composer Biography

In 1917, at age sixty, Elgar was deeply disturbed by the war and his health suffered, making significant work difficult.

Composer Biography

The cottage Brinkwells in West Sussex, discovered by Elgar's wife Alice and daughter Carice, provided the isolation Elgar sought and rekindled his inspiration.

Critical Reception

George Bernard Shaw, a guest at an early performance, was "knocked over" by the Piano Quintet, calling it the "finest thing of its kind since Coriolan."

Composer's Artistic Vision

Elgar's mature chamber works are seen as a reaction to his earlier, more emotional, theatrical compositions, adopting a leaner, more contemplative style.