Edward Elgar, born June 2, 1857, wrote much more than the Pomp and Circumstance Marches. One of his most famous pieces was the Enigma Variations (1899). A composition entitled “variations” consists of a theme and a number of variations on that theme, in this case 14, the most famous being “Nimrod.” The variations were written for many of Elgar’s friends, one of his closest being August Jaeger, who was also his publisher. Nimrod was a biblical figure being called “a mighty hunter before the Lord” and the German word for hunter is jaeger, hence the title of the piece. It is a beautiful melody and puts people in mind of war, death, and loved ones and is often used at funerals, most recently that of Prince Philip. However, given that Jaeger helped his friend greatly through a period of depression the year before the composition, it can also be thought as a deep expression of hope and love.
His next big composition in 1900 was a setting for orchestra, chorus, and soloists of John Henry Cardinal Newman’s poem The Dream of Gerontius. The Pomp and Circumstance Marches (5 total) were composed between 1901 and 1930. There were choral pieces, symphonies, and a violin concerto (commissioned by Fritz Kreisler). After the death of his wife in 1920, Elgar’s composing slowed down but didn’t stop completely, as he was commissioned by the BBC for a Third Symphony, which he was working on along with an opera when he died in 1934.
Elgar is considered one of the most English of English composers. His style typifies the English mood and sensibility. The trio part of the Pomp and Circumstance No 1 is not only known as that “graduation music” but as the song “Land of Hope and Glory,” which some British people think of as a second national anthem.
I leave you with a recording of Pomp and Circumstance No 1 (with “Land of Hope and Glory” being sung within it) as well as a beautiful rendition of “Nimrod” from the Enigma Variations. I think you’ll enjoy both.
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