Where Corals Lie, A Journey through Songs by Sir Edward Elgar
10/1/2021, 20 Tracks, 1:03:38
Featuring
Julia Sitkovetsky
Christopher Glynn
Edward Elgar
Did you know?
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Composition History
Elgar's 'Sea Pictures' was originally requested as a short choral work for the Norfolk and Norwich Triennial Festival, but was altered to a smaller scale 'Scena for either Contralto, Tenor or Bass'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Elgar, as a freelance composer, often wrote songs to meet public demand and earn income, as larger works rarely provided profitable returns.
Notable Performances
The London premiere of 'Sea Pictures' was followed by a performance for Queen Victoria at Balmoral, with Elgar accompanying Clara Butt, the contralto who premiered the work.
Compositional Technique
Elgar sometimes adapted instrumental works into songs, such as 'Land of Hope and Glory', when commercial opportunities arose.
Compositional Technique
Elgar's songs frequently use strophic form, where several stanzas are set to the same music, and feature melodic shapes with an instrumental quality.
Compositional Technique
Elgar sketched most of his works, including choral oratorios and 'Sea Pictures', in a piano 'short' score before orchestrating them, which also served as rehearsal accompaniments for vocal works.
Recording & Production
This recording uses 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which offers a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings, aiming for a better sound reproduction.
