Elgar

by W.H. Reed

Contents Childhood and Youth In Search of a Career The Teaching of Experience Marriage and Artistic Progress Growing Mastery Gradual Recognition and Fame Full Maturity Continued Creative Activity Fame at Home and Abroad The Elgar Festival and Knighthood Honours Continue Violin Concerto and Second Symphony 'Falstaff' and the War Music Chamber Music and Cello Concerto Music of the Last Phase Last Days and Unfinished Works Conclusion.'It is difficult to imagine that any one could draw a more intimate and helpful picture of a great man than Mr. Reed has done of Elgar. Even to those who knew Elgar's works well this book will be instructive and helpful' Manchester Evening Cello Music Music Chamber Chamber Music War Music Cello Concerto Violin Concerto Elgar Manchester Evening News Mr Reed Creative Activity Artistic Progress Knighthood Falstaff Great Man Mastery Maturity

227 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jun-Dai Bates-Kobashigawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps not the best biography in a strict sense, but I loved reading this because the love and affection that Reed has towards his subject is so clear. And it does fill in the details of a life I did not even have a mental sketch of, which in turn gives me a deeper sense of what turn of the century England must be like. And it is nicely written, prose-wise, with enjoyable turns of phrase.

And interestingly, he spends a lot of time going into the music itself, which is delightful. And this has definitely encouraged me to give repeat listens to works like _Dream of Gerontius_, which I’d never heard of and did not particularly care for on first hearing, but now find quite powerful.