Elgar's Hillside

[Elgarian Redux]

have you readMatthew Riley's great book on Elgar?

Well, I dipped into it this afternoon. It's not an easy read for a non-musician, but I was won over by his early discussion of nostalgia. Thank goodness, he is someone who realises that there are certain experiences often categorised dismissively as 'nostalgia', which in fact are among the most profound experiences we have, and Elgar is the master of expressing them in musical terms.

I remember once discussing this with an old friend (we'd done some archaeology together many years before) where we thrashed the thing out between us, concluding that there was a world of difference between wanting to relive or revisit the past (on the one hand) and wishing to contemplate the past with a view to enriching the present (on the other). Elgar is a master of the second of these. It's very different to the usual concept of 'nostalgia' as a kind of sentimentalism. I'm reassured that Matthew Riley seems to have a clear sight of this.

The question is: when we listen to Elgar, are we wistfully retreading old ground wanting to go back, or are we revisiting old ground in order to bring extra insight into the present? Understanding the difference between the two seems to me to be crucial.

[Luke]

Yes, the issues around nostalgia are much more subtle than are so often (dismissively) imagined, and Riley does them full justice. But also, each chapter pursues its theme - such as the idea of wind blowing through rushes, its importance to Elgar but also its general importance in the imagery of the time - with infectious intelligence and awareness of cultural contexts. I found it really fascinating.


And, in a rather more childish mood, to Karl's post...

The Hillside has become the hippest corner of GMG.

...I can only respond:

[Karl Henning]

... to Karl's post...

...I can only respond:

Smooth!

[Elgarian Redux]

The idea of nature revealing itself through unconscious, non-human but musical sounds, as in an Aeolian harp, is clearly connected to the fundamental theme of my book, of composers finding inspiration in the mysterious auras of a place. And then, at the end of Elgar's VC, what else do we hear but a giant orchestral Aeolian harp, thrummed across the body of the orchestral  strings in a manner strikingly similar to the workings of the wind-powered instrument, whilst the violin's inconceivably poetic cadenza unwinds until all that is left is Windflower, with the accent on wind... It's really the heart of Elgar, this unique and heart stopping cadenza, IMO.

I once had the very great good fortune to visit Plas Gwyn (it's a private house, not open to the public), and curiously among my most vivid memories of that day was walking into his study, towards the window, and thinking, 'that's where he must have put the Aeolian Harp that Dora Penny wrote about when she was here.'

[Luke]

Feeling a bit jealous!

[Elgarian Redux]

The Hillside has become the hippest corner of GMG.

And all the more hip for your presence in it, my dear chap!

[Elgarian Redux]

Feeling a bit jealous!

It was a one-off, sparkling bit of luck. I'll tell you more about it some time.

[Karl Henning]

It was a one-off, sparkling bit of luck. I'll tell you more about it some time.

Love it when luck sparkles. It ought to do oftener!

[Elgarian Redux]

Love it when luck sparkles. It ought to do oftener!

Well just look at the richly sparkling people contributing to this thread, Karl. That's a bit of sparkling luck.

[Luke]

By the way, thinking of that wonderful Aeolian harp cadenza in the VC, in the first run-through recording of various sections of the piece, made with violinist Marie Hall, the primitive equipment could not capture the delicate sound of the thumbing so it was reinforced by a real harp. You can hear it on YouTube, at 8.12

or, reconstructed, with Tasmin Little/Andrew Davis. I'm sure you all know that, but in context it's good to remember.

[Elgarian Redux]

By the way, thinking of that wonderful Aeolian harp cadenza in the VC, in the first run-through recording of various sections of the piece, made with violinist Marie Hall, the primitive equipment could not capture the delicate sound of the thumbing so it was reinforced by a real harp. You can hear it on YouTube, at 8.12

I see a 'This video is unavailable' notice, I'm sorry to say.

or, reconstructed, with Yasmin Little/Andrew Davis. I'm sure you all know that, but in context it's good to remember.

I didn't know, so thank you.

[Luke]

I see a 'This video is unavailable' notice, I'm sorry to say.

That will be my fault as it's certainly available. Try this:

https://youtu.be/rdArvQUg_oU?si=n-UDCz-b7X_0NnKw

Needless to say, the sound is execrable. But interesting nonetheless.

[Luke]

I also love the fact that the violin concerto was the last music listened to by TE Lawrence (of Arabia) at his house, Clouds Hill (which is very close to Holst's Egdon Heath, to the extent that it exists) before he took the motorbike ride that killed him. The disc is still on his gramophone there.

But he loved the 2nd Symphony best of all. A very lovely exchange of letters exists between them. This page contains some of it, plus pictures of the amazing little cottage, and thr gramophone .

More here, with some of Elgar's intriguing reply https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Why+TE+Lawrence+was+in+tune+with+Elgar.-a0113324140

[Elgarian Redux]

That will be my fault as it's certainly available. Try this:

https://youtu.be/rdArvQUg_oU?si=n-UDCz-b7X_0NnKw

Needless to say, the sound is execrable. But interesting nonetheless.

Thanks - yes, I have it now.

I've heard this before, though not for a long time. I started by listening for the harp as you suggested, but soon was drawn far beyond the crackles and pops into the heart-rending emotional journey of the Cadenza. My goodness.

Sometime we ought to discuss Elgar's recordings more widely - I'm not sure we ever have, in the long history of this thread (or have I just forgotten?). I confess I'm reluctant to come down from the Hillside.

[Elgarian Redux]

I mean, why would anybody ever want to come down from here?

[Karl Henning]

I mean, why would anybody ever want to come down from here?

Verily!

[Florestan]

Question: is there any mountain in the UK where one can ski?

[Luke]

Up in Scotland, yes

[Luke]

I mean, why would anybody ever want to come down from here?

Quite right - beautiful photos, again.

[Florestan]

Up in Scotland, yes

Any regular ski resorts? I mean, places where every winter people gather to ski or sleigh on dedicated ski slopes.

I ask because a cousin of mine lives in Stratford-upon-Avon and answered in the negative to the above question. I want a second opinion from native UK people.