Edward Elgar was the most important British composer of, roughly, the Edwardian era (1901-1914). And all the while he struggled with feelings of inferiority and resentment that he never actually overcame. It gave his music a dual aura. On the one hand splendor worthy of the Edwardian era. On the other, the introverted expression of Catholic oratorios like
The Dream of Gerontius. Most music lovers
… are familiar with Elgar's Enigma Variations. And especially the wonderful Nimrod Variation, of which we hear an organ arrangement here. Nimrod was an obscure biblical figure called a great hunter. For Elgar, this mythical figure was a nod to August Jaeger, his contact at Novello publishers. Elgar composed the First Organ Sonata for the visit of a group of American church musicians to Worcester. That first performance is said to have been a mess, as Hugh Blair (Elgar's assistant and successor as organist at Worcester Cathedral) had only four days to rehearse the extensive work. The Second Sonata is an arrangement of Elgar's Severn Suite for brass band. Ives' authorized arrangement was made by Ivor Atkins, who in turn was the successor to the aforementioned Hugh Blair. Tom Winpenny here plays the organ at Hereford Cathedral, converted by "father" Willis in 1892. Elgar maintained warm ties with this location, thanks to his friendship with organist George Robertson Sinclair (HJ).more
