PROGRAM NOTES
JOSHUA BELL PLAYS MENDELSSOHN each character . What began as a whim grew into a grand homage to the people in Elgar ’ s life and became one of the most popular and beloved pieces he would ever compose .
Elgar ’ s love of puzzles and word games is on full display in this set of variations ; at the beginning of each movement , he inscribed a set of initials or a word that hints at the identity within . Following is a brief description of each variation and its accompanying character :
Variation I ( C . A . E ) flows directly from the theme and represents Elgar ’ s wife , Caroline Alice , with music that is tender and romantic .
Variation II ( H . D . S-P ) depicts the amateur pianist , H . D . Stewart-Powell with whom Elgar often played chamber music . The quick disjointed phrases replicate his friend warming up on the piano before a rehearsal .
Variation III ( R . B . T .) The bassoon features prominently here and depicts Richard Baxter Townshend , a writer who played the role of an old man in a local theater production , an event that clearly amused Elgar .
Variation IV ( W . M . B ) is a short episode full of verve . William Meath Baker was a country squire whose habit of slamming the door shut as he left a room is deftly reflected in the abrupt nature of this movement .
Variation V ( R . P . A ) alternates between serene beauty and playful interjections . Richard Penrose Arnold was an amateur pianist and deep thinker . Elgar described him as “ a great lover of music ” whose “ serious conversation was continually broken up by whimsical and witty remarks .”
Variation VI ( Ysobel ) focuses on Isabel Fitton , a viola student of Elgar who struggled with her technique . Elgar highlights the viola throughout this variation , using a melodic motive from a string exercise .
Variation VII ( Troyte ) is another fast-paced romp . Arthur Troyte Griffith was an architect and dear friend of Elgar whose unsuccessful attempts to learn piano ended abruptly .
Variation VIII ( W . N .) is a portrait of Winifred Norbury and her elegant countryside house . The music is sedate and mannered , like the home she inhabits , while her laugh is revealed in the cackling woodwinds .
Variation IX ( Nimrod ) is dedicated to Elgar ’ s publisher , August Jaeger , who was a close confidant and loyal supporter . Elgar described this music as a “ record of a long summer evening talk , when my friend discoursed eloquently on the slow movements of Beethoven .” This movement is a moving testimony to an enduring friendship .
Variation X ( Dorabella ) is a charming diversion related to Dora Penny , a close friend whose youthful stutters are heard in the woodwinds .
Variation XI ( G . R . S ) belongs to George Robertson Sinclair , organist of Hereford Cathedral , but the music reflects an episode in which his bulldog , Dan , fell down a riverbank , paddled upstream to find a landing place where he let out a rejoiceful bark .
Variation XII ( B . G . N .)— Basil G . Nevison was an amateur cellist and devoted friend who played music with Elgar . The soaring cello melody pays tribute to this serious and thoughtful man .
Variation XIII (***) — The mysterious asterisks replace the name of Lady Mary Lygon , a noblewoman who was on a sea voyage to Australia when Elgar wrote this piece . The clarinet plays a quote from Mendelssohn ’ s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Overture , while a distant drumroll evokes a ship ’ s engine .
Variation XIV ( E . D . U .) — Though not his initials , the letters of the inscription spell out Alice ’ s nickname for Edward . This finale is a bold self-portrait of the composer as he recalls earlier themes and unites his friends with music that ends in a grand and joyous statement .
Instrumentation Two flutes including piccolo , two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons , contrabassoon , four horns , three trumpets , three trombones , tuba , timpani , percussion , harp , and strings .
Musical Terms Variation : A formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form . The changes may involve melody , rhythm , harmony , counterpoint , timbre , orchestration , or any combination of these .
Maximilian Franz
MAR-APR 2023 / OVERTURE 33