Introduction and Allegro (Elgar)
The work is dedicated to Samuel Sanford, who had been instrumental in having Elgar awarded an honorary doctorate of music at Yale University on 28 June 1905,[2] where the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 was played for the first time at such a conferral ceremony.
Structure
The piece opens with a
The Allegro begins with a theme in
, except for the double basses, who play with their bows.Composition style
Introduction and Allegro was composed in a neo-resurrected form of the Baroque concerto grosso.[4] However, such solos are not confined solely to the solo quartet, but rather are distributed ever so often among the accompanying orchestra, such as at the first transition entering the Allegro. The solo quartet, however, often blend back into the orchestra, but rarely play exactly the same notes as the accompanying orchestra.[5]
Polyphony dictates much of the piece, often with multiple themes or motifs interleaving with one another. Since polyphony is the most complex of all musical textures, it comes as no surprise that Introduction and Allegro is an attempt to show the virtuosity of each musician performing the piece.
Much of the piece focuses on the tremendous virtuoso-technicalities within the violin parts. After all, the piece "fully [reflects] Elgar's first-hand knowledge as a former violinist himself".[1] This however adds complications in the lower-frequency instruments, particularly in the bass part, which can clearly be seen as one of the most challenging of string orchestra repertoire. This, however, could be Elgar reminiscing to the Baroque concerto grosso form, in which the cello and bass parts are sometimes the same.
References
- ^ a b The Hyperion Records/London Symphony Orchestra, Introduction and Allegro, a historical overview, accessed 22 December 2014
- ^ Whitehead, James Beswick. "Elgar's English Twilight, an Idyll". Archived from the original on 11 October 2012.
- ^ Elgar Society website, accessed 8 November 2007
- ^ "Elgar – Introduction and Allegro for Strings". Retrieved 25 December 2007.
- ^ "String Orchestra of New York City". Archived from the original on 8 January 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
External links
- Introduction and Allegro: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Recording by the Gardner Chamber Orchestra from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format