Elgar, Sir Edward

Elgar, Sir Edward (William)

Edward Elgar.

(credit: EB Inc.)

(born June 2, 1857, Broadheath, Worcestershire, Eng.—died Feb. 23, 1934, Worcester, Worcestershire) British composer. Son of a piano tuner, he became proficient on violin and organ. His Enigma Variations (1896) brought him fame; he followed it with the oratorio The Dream of Gerontius (1900), which many consider his masterpiece. He composed in the orchestral idiom of late 19th-century Romanticism—characterized by bold tunes, striking colour effects, and mastery of large forms—stimulating a renaissance of English music. His principal works include the five Pomp and Circumstance Marches (1901–07), two symphonies (1908, 1911), concertos for violin (1910) and cello (1919), and the tone poems Cockaigne (1901) and Falstaff (1913).