GENIUS Of ELGAR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 April 1934, Page 4

GENIUS Of ELGAR

A GREAT COMPOSER DR. BRADSHAWS TRIBUTE Ovcisoas musicians, by their writings, and. New Zealand musicians, by recent tributes, have expressed warm admiration for llie services to music ot Sir Edward' Elgar, who died recently in England; An investigation of lbo published opinions of critics on Elgars music was prompted by tbc inquiries of a' correspondent m the Christchurch "Times.”

The letter .asked for an estimation of the importance of Elgar, how he ranked with the great masters, how Ins symphony in , A-flat compared with symphonies of Beethoven, Haydn, Tschaikowsky and Sibelius, and what was bis greatest work apart from Ins

"Dream of Geronlius.” These questions were first relcrrcd lo Dr. J. C. Bradshaw, as lecturer m music at Canterbury College, by a "Times reporter, find he said that Elgar was beyond doubt one of lhe greatest of modern composers, and at 1 lie lime olMus death, was certainly the greatest English composer. It was a mistake to attempt 10, compare modern work with that of tile great masters. Richter, tile famous composer, bad said that Elgar s first symphony was fit lor Brahms. JTrabin’s bad written four and Richter declared that Elgar’s symphony might well be a fifth. There, was no doubt that Elgar was in the line of succession of the great masters. Dr. Bradshaw said that the “Dream of Gerontius” was one of the greatest of Elgar’s works. Among others ranking with it were “The Apostles, _Jh° Kingdom.” the symphonies, the violin concerto and “Carillon.”

ENGLISH TRIBUTE ■Au English writer, shortly after Elgar's float!) wrote—"and there is not one among us to write or chant his requiem. Empty is England of musicmakers, who never adequately honoured this, her greatest one. “His appearance was in lull accord with that of a great composer, a dreamer and God's child. For Elgar was very truly God’s child, puritanical and deeply religious. Not since Beethoven, Bach and Brahms has the world had music of such reverential, devotional and yet aspiring simplicity as Ins ‘Dream of Gerontius,’ ‘The Apostles and ‘The Kingdom.’ “In olden days he. would certainly have Been a. prophet. In these, days ol record-breaking and noisy sensation he merely stood for the nebulous figure, of tho ‘Grand Old Man of British music. ITis music was insufficiently perlonred and he fell, bitterly ‘on the shell, nolwitlistanding that, he had been made a baronet, a. G.C.V.0., and awarded tile 0.M.”

Born .in 1857 in Worcester, he was the son of a Homan Catholic organist who kept a music shop. His parents were poor but. he was self-educated and at one time conducted bands in county asylums. ITe was first brought into prominence by Richard Strauss, who declared him to le the greatest living composer after hearing the “Dream ol Gerontius” in Germany in 1901. Elgai s last, big public appearance was conducting Yehudi Menuhin in lb' 1 Mger violin Concerto at the Albert Hall.