File:Modern composers of Europe - being an account of the most recent musical progress in the various European nations, with some notes on their history, and critical and biographical sketches of the (14771354132).jpg

Identifier: moderncomposerso00elso (find matches)
Title: Modern composers of Europe : being an account of the most recent musical progress in the various European nations, with some notes on their history, and critical and biographical sketches of the contemporary musical leaders in each country
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: Elson, Arthur, 1873-1940
Subjects: Composers
Publisher: Boston : L.C. Page
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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trument, and at a later periodhe replaced his father. When very small he hada few lessons on the piano, and afterward he wastaken into the orchestra of the Worcester theatre,where an English opera company gave works likeNorma, Trovatore, and Don Giovanni.His general education was received at LittletonHouse School, where he earned a mock title amongthe boys; for, on being asked his name by theprincipal, he responded Edward Elgar, and whenthe punctilious master said, Add the sir/ M hereplied, Sir Edward Elgar! He hoped to study music in Leipzig, and devotedhimself to German with that end in view; butpoverty compelled him to abandon the idea. Thenhe entered the office of a legal friend, where he re-mained a year before deciding that music was hisvocation. He began to give lessons on the violin,and studied the instrument with Pollitzer in Lon-don. It was at this time that he determined toeducate himself in composition. He read, heard, andplayed everything that he could. His church service
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EDWARD WILLIAM ELGAR. ENGLAND 205 finishing early, he would run over to the cathedralto hear the voluntaries there. He studied books on harmony and orchestration,but he speaks of them as unattractive. I readthem, and I still exist, is his way of putting it.They included the works of Catel, Cherubini, andothers, but the only one of which he approves isMozarts Thorough-Bass School. He alsospeaks highly of Parrys articles in Groves dic-tionary. Asked by a recent interviewer how theseauthorities agreed, he replied that they did not, andthat a man who studies by himself must be wiseenough to pick out the good points of each. Inalluding to his studies of musical form, he repeatedthe important truth that even those composers whodisregard it should first be masters of it. He grewenthusiastic about Mozart. As an example of hisconscientious study, he told of ruling a score forthe same instruments and the same number of barsas in Mozarts G-Minor Symphony, and writing asymphony of similar shape i

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