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Get tips on theatre and art from other Mumsnetters on our Culture forum.

Original poster

Is Elgar a guilty pleasure?

59 replies

OrmIrian · 29/05/2007 11:58

Because I feel a bit awkward liking his music. I love the cello concerto and Sea Pictures and Enigma etc and don't care if it is a bit over-emotional. But on Saturday I took DS#1 and DD to see the Bournemouth Symphony Orch. version of the Last Night of the Proms. I am always on the look out for accessible live classical music for them and they enjoyed it. But then we started on the Pomp and Circumstance and the flag waving and I felt so uncomfortable. Not really my kind of thing at all.

Is Elgar generally a bad thing?

OP posts:
tortoiseSHELL · 29/05/2007 14:29

Britten choral music is fantastic - and some opera as well - not so sure about Peter Grimes, but the War Requiem is so moving, and the opera Paul Bunyan is great fun. Hymn to St Cecilia and Rejoice in the Lamb are fantastic, missa brevis is good - I think Britten is possibly the greatest 20th century composer of them all!

littlelapin · 29/05/2007 15:15

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harpsichordcarrier · 29/05/2007 23:51

you philistines!
TOTS is sublime
and as for Rejoice in the Lamb

Califrau · 29/05/2007 23:55

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harpsichordcarrier · 29/05/2007 23:57

oh Califrau how patriotic
except aren't you Welsh?
shouldn't it have been, we'll keep a welcome in the hillside or something

harpsichordcarrier · 29/05/2007 23:58

(actually I knew that already and I always give your maidenhood a passing thought when I hear it......... Oh the joys of mumsnet.)

Califrau · 30/05/2007 00:00

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twinsetandpearls · 30/05/2007 00:04

elgar makes me weepy and gooey. Not much can do that nowadays.

harpsichordcarrier · 30/05/2007 00:07
Pan · 30/05/2007 00:21

as a scot with Irish republican roots even I can see the attraction in Elgar....as I'm not English I don't have the debate about guilt.....all of the peices mentioned so far I luuurve, and can listen to them without reservation or doubt.

Unbridle youself!! As music without comment it is faberooney!! (a phrase I am sure the man would have deeply disproved of!)

alipiggie · 30/05/2007 00:26

Wonderful music - especially Du Pre's recording of the Cello Concerto. Many happy memories associated with his music - not quite up to CF's though . As for patriotism, had my first real live taste of the American Version yesterday at a Memorial Day gathering here in Colorado. Wow - even I sang along - thank goodness I'd learnt the words (most of them) to the Star Spangled Banner. It was inspiring, shame that it's never quite the same in the UK other than at the Last Night of the Proms. Expat you'd have been proud of me.

Califrau · 30/05/2007 00:31

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alipiggie · 30/05/2007 00:33

Lol. Well we had a 10k race here in Boulder - the Bolder Boulder and a friend of mine was running so we went to cheer the 49,999 others on too . It was amazing, taps played, fly past of jets. Reading by a Purple Heart Vet. Very very moving. The loudest cheer of the day went to the Marine Corps who ran the race in formation and finished with 100 pushups. We're doing the theme parks in 2wks in Florida .

Pan · 30/05/2007 00:33

Star Spangled Banner - yes, allie! used to know all the words and can see why it is such a good anthem....

MrsJohnCusack · 30/05/2007 02:41

well I love Elgar and the jingoistic stuff (hairy toed prommers etc.) isn't his fault..

And I love him even more so because he loved horses (a tad irrational perhaps, but I love this quote - "The men and women can go to hell - but my horses! Let God kill his human beings but - how can he? Oh, my horses". A bit harsh on all the people that died, obviously, but I do see his point a bit)

CristinaTheAstonishing · 30/05/2007 02:50

I was listening to a radio programme where they were saying Elgar took too much inspiration from others' music, not just as a starting point to doing something new, but going over the same stuff again. I liked the bits of Elgar I heard but, I have to say, I need pointing out it is him as I don't think I'd guess it otherwise. The flag waving is just yuckity-yuck X 100.

jura · 30/05/2007 10:02

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Marina · 30/05/2007 10:14

I agree with others here - I don't see Elgar as a guilty pleasure really. As Lilymaid says, he is one of a number of pre-WW1 British artists whose world view changed radically by 1918 - Kipling is another example.
I always think of my guilty pleasure twosome as RVW and Parry tbh. Just because they are within the range of amateur singers. The Mass in G minor is the one that has me blubbing shamelessly .
I've only sung a couple of Elgar motets, none of the longer stuff, and only carols of Britten's. But I could listen to both constantly (except for possibly that Decca recording of the English Folksongs with Peter Pears )

MrsJohnCusack · 30/05/2007 10:23

Marina! Haven't seen your name for ages! how are you?
Elgar was a very interesting bloke actually - a right old mass of contradictions

tortoiseSHELL · 30/05/2007 11:15

Marina - if nothing else, you have to sing The Spirit of the Lord by Elgar (the beginning of the Apostles) - often done as an anthem. It's just lovely.

tortoiseSHELL · 30/05/2007 11:16

Oh and I totally agree about the RVW mass in G minor - especially the Corydon Singers recording. Except perhaps for the beginning of the Sanctus, which someone pointed out to me sounds like a fire engine going past, especially if the choir goes a bit flat through the first phrases, giving the doppler effect to perfection!

jura · 30/05/2007 11:22

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harpsichordcarrier · 30/05/2007 11:24

I think it's important not too mix up the artist with the art.

harpsichordcarrier · 30/05/2007 11:24

argh I mean to obviously
I love that bit with the leopard in Rejoice in the Lamb

Lilymaid · 30/05/2007 11:27

I would compare Elgar with Mahler (they were contemporaries). Whilst Mahler's reputation has risen over the last 30 year's Elgar's has not. I do think we underestimate Elgar because he is British - we might like him better were he Viennese.
The Spirit of the Lord is fantastic to sing (as is the rest of the Apostles, though long) and for me is comparable with singing Mahler 2/8.