Edward Elgar

* Introduction & Allegro for Strings Op.47^
* Falstaff - Symphonic Study in C-Minor Op.68
* Transcription of a J.S.Bach Fantasy & Fugue Op.86

Solo Quartett: Richard Deakin (Violin)^, Geoffrey Silver (Violin)^,
Stephen Broadbent (Viola)^, David Strange (Violoncello)^
National Youth Orchestra/Christopher Seaman
IMP Classics PCD934 [DDD] TT: 59:15

Although Edward Elgar was Englands leading composer, and in fact, the
first English composer who seriously challenged the composers on the
continent, it might seem remarkable that he chose a subject like "Falstaff"
to constitute the program of a Symphonic Study, or name it Symphonic Poem
if you prefer as it is with being a Symphonic piece with a program attached
thereto actually equal to a Straussian Symphonic Poem in its rough concept.
It is remarkable then for mainly two reasons, whereof the first is that the
story of "Falstaff" already had been used in a very fine setting of highest
quality, namely Verdis opera, which was also very popular.  And in addition
Otto Nicolais "The merry Wives of Windsor" was at this time a very popular
and frequently played work in Englands merry full pride of the
Sheakespearian tradition.  The other reason is that when Elgar begun
and wrote this piece, Richard Strauss was at the peak of toning out his
Symphonic Poems over the world.  That is, summed up; two good reasons for
this being a very ambitious project to start, and for most also two good
reasons not to try such a project.

The Symphonic Study "Falstaff" is intended to portray the character
of that fat, boastful and cowardly knight Sir John Falstaff, which
Shakespeare portrayed in "King Henry IV", in a explicitly humourous
manner.  The piece opens with the presenting of several themes of different
character which shall picture the rotund, self-opinionated and boorish old
knight.  These themes are then, on typical Romantic manner, the device of
workingmaterial the composer then uses throughout the piece.  An imposing
march is associated with one of Falstaffs side-kicks, Prince Hal, heir
to the English throne.  The music subsides with a guffaw from the lower
woodwinds and strings, whereupon the scene changes to "The Boars Head",
where Falstaff reigns supreme.  The texture lightens as Falstaff announces
his plan to ambush a convoy in the woods and steal some booty.  A dancing
piano-pianissimo legato figure in the violins is suggestive of Prince Hals
counterplan to steal the booty from Falstaff.  After a short pause has
occured, the strings and horns chugga-chug with much noise as an indicative
of the turns in the woods.  As excitement mounts, Prince Hal appears on the
scene and eventually, after some struggle, makes away with the ill-gotten
gains, leaving Falstaff to retrace his steps to "The Boars Head" with his
tail very much between his legs.  A new rocking theme announced by the
strings is an affectionate portrait of the owneress of the inn; Mistress
Quickly.  The next picture is painted by one bassoon solely,and fitting in
the context and in a role the bassoon often takes traditionally, we can
now draw the conclusion that Falstaff is very much on his ear after his
biberian pleasure.  He twice attempts to hold a speech, but when that shows
up to be an impossible mission, he gradually falls asleep to transparent
string textures, and funnily begins to snore, marked by intermittent rolls
on the timpani.  There follows two dream-interludes, in which the totally
inebriated knight dreams of being a page boy to the Duke of Norfolk.  After
a brief pause, the tempo quickens and the music becomes more agitated as
Falstaffrides off on a mission to Glocester.  As the excitement mounts
we see him go into battle.  After hysteria dies down, the second dream
interlude takes over.  This one is describing Shallows orchard in
Glocestershire and etablishes a feling of calmness and tranquillity.

The last part of "Falstaff" is usually called "The Introduction", not as
some uttrance of Shakespearian humour, but as it inhold the "Welsh Theme"
that consistutes the Introduction of "Introduction and Allegro" Op.47.
The introduction then opens imposingly with a dramatic theme of searing
intensity played by the whole ensemble in union, rising to a sforzano
forte-fortissimo.  Follows a second idea played by the stings, and an
orchestral outburst heralds a passage marking that Prince Hal has now
become king of England.  After a brief pause we hear stately and regal
music accompanying the Kings Coronation.  A lumbering figure in the cellos
is Falstaff stepping forward, but he is ignored by the new monarch.The
elderly knight is left stupefied by his old comerades behaviour and the
process moves off.  The scene retures to "The Boars Head" where Falstaff,
who feels ha has now lost what little interest he had in life, is dying.
Even those who don't think highly of this piece generally use to admit that
the closing pages of this yet cleverly thought out score are amongst Elgars
most touching, and haunting memorable.

The Introduction so is repeated, this time in "Introduction and Allegro",
with the first theme in a miraculously espressivo transcription for string
quartett, followed by the famous "Welsh" tune, announced by a viola.  The
first material is then being worked out forcefully, and a nostaligally
reflective version of the Welshiana conlude the introduction.  Without
break the tempo turns up to Allegro, while still tossing around the second
theme from the introduction.  After the tune has transfomed from the
original minor key to the tonic major corrspondance, yet a new theme is
announced, easy recognizable in great energy and vigour and very rapidly
repeated notes.  The work climaxes twice, both times in the dress of the
original theme of the introduction, and thereby follows, with Elgar words
in a letter:  "The Devil of a Fugue".  Elgar had a natural aversion against
strict counterpoint actually, but that stemed from his idea of what kind
of music he wanted to compose, and not lack of manage of the craft.  This
fugue is the evidence of that, as it is a school example.  After winding
down the assinstance of the repeated note theme, a slightly curtained
restatement of the opening material follows.  This build inexorably up
towards a grand final statement of the "Welsh" theme.  The final coda,
based on first Allegro-theme, brings the work to lively and exhilarating
conclusion.

After playing through some harpsichord and organ pieces of Johann Sebastian
Bach in April of 1921, Elgar felt inspired to orchestrate the organ C-Minor
Fantasia and Fugue BWV537 in order "to show how gorgeous and great and
brilliant Bach would have made it sound himself, had he just had the our
means".  Again a work of strict counterpoint, rare for Elgars kind of
musicmaking.

The playing is as good as one can demand both from the orchestra and the
string quartett.  Some of parts of "Falstaff" are a bit loosely chained,
but in addition to bright points as the grumble and grudging in horns
during the forrestite turmoil, the sheer joy of the musicmaking makes it
an entertaining event to listen to this disc.  The string quartett offers
a lively performance of the "Introduction & Allegro".  Especially Geoffrey
Silver stand out, although some missed notes in the emotionally powerful
"Welsh"-theme, which is so fabulously difficult to play right.  The
Bach-fugue comes out a little to muddy to clearly make out all voices, but
it is taken with as much virginal enthusiasm as a kid can express about
finding a new feature of live with gloss eyes.

I didn't know anything about the orchestra, The National Youth Orchestra
before, but the liner notes entlightens me that it is an English orchestra,
founded by Dame Ruth Railton in 1947 to provide a chance for youths and
kids to develop their musical ability.  The orchestra soon won high
acclaim, and after Dame Railtons retirement in 1965, the orchestra has
drifted into specializing in late- or post-romantic repertoire, with works
like "Ein Heldenleben" and "Le Sacre du Printemps" as principal warhorses.

These works are very ambitious, and Elgar meant it so.  So it is no
coincidence that he chose a work by Bach inwhich his musical signature
B-A-C-H is included.  A signature which inspired Mozart, Beethoven,
Sjostakovitj, Haba, and many other great compsoers to genial four-tone
thematic figures.  Elgar never thought his lofty masterpieces won the right
acclaim; In the second performance of "Falstaff", on 01.10.1913 in London,
it didn't help that the audience was tempted by such heavy artillery as
the second symphony and the "Enigma"-variations, hardly anyone but a few
thought it worth to attend the concert.  The way went the "Introduction and
Allegro".  The first performance on 08.03.1905 was very coldly recepted by
the audience, although played together with the third Pomp and Circumstance
March, "In The South", the song cycle "Sea Pictures" and the "Cockaigne
Ouverture".  Elgar wrote in a letter to Dorabella Powell on the
"Introduction and Allegro":  "Nothing better has ever been written for
strings, and they don't like it".

We can thankful to this fine attempt - the National Youth Orchestras vivid
and cheerful playing - to better up the performance tradition of these
works.  The sound is think but rich too.

Mats Norrman
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