Sea Pictures

2016-04-25T00:53:31Z

Scott: Replaced content with "This is a test page."

This is a test page.

Sea Pictures

2016-04-25T00:53:12Z

Scott:

{{Italic title}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
'''''Sea Pictures, Op. 37''''' is a song cycle by Sir [[Edward Elgar]] consisting of five songs written by various poets. It was set for [[contralto]] and orchestra, though a distinct version for piano was often performed by Elgar. Many [[mezzo-soprano]]s have sung the piece.

The songs are:<ref>Kennedy, p.344–345</ref>
* "[[Sea Slumber Song]]" by [[Roden Noel]]
* "[[In Haven|In Haven (Capri)]]" by [[Caroline Alice Elgar]], the composer's wife
* "[[Sabbath Morning at Sea]]" by [[Elizabeth Barrett Browning]]
* "[[Where Corals Lie]]" by [[Richard Garnett (writer)|Richard Garnett]]
* "[[The Swimmer (poem)|The Swimmer]]" by [[Adam Lindsay Gordon]]

Much of the vocal line of the first song, "Sea Slumber Song," is heard again in other parts of the cycle; most notably, the second stanza is heard again almost in its entirety as part of the finale.

== History ==
Elgar composed the piece on his 1844 Broadwood Square piano while residing at Birchwood Lodge, Great Storridge in [[Herefordshire]]. The songs were originally written in high keys for a [[soprano]] voice, but transposed to lower keys for the orchestral version, largely at the request of the contralto [[Clara Butt]].{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} The songs were composed in July 1899 (apart from "[[In Haven|In Haven (Capri)]]", which was a reworking of his 1897 "[[Love alone will stay]]").<ref name=K101>Kennedy, p.101</ref>

The premiere was on 5 October 1899 at the [[Norfolk and Norwich Festival]] with Elgar himself conducting and [[Clara Butt]] singing, dressed as a mermaid.<ref name=K101/> On 7 October, Clara Butt gave the first London performance at [[St James's Hall|St. James's Hall]], with Elgar at the piano. Nearly two weeks later, on 20 October, Butt performed it for [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] at [[Balmoral Castle|Balmoral]].

Until August 1900, Elgar's songs had been published by [[Novello & Co|Novello]]: but Elgar had a disagreement with them, and from then his songs, including "[[The Pipes of Pan]]" and ''Sea Pictures'' were published by [[Boosey & Hawkes]], who bought the copyright for £50, with a small royalty per copy of the songs published separately.

''Sea Pictures'' was published in the following languages:
* German: ''See-Bilder'' with words by Dr. Wilhelm Henzen
* French: ''Marines'' with words by George Petilleau.

== Recordings ==
* The first recording, of "In Haven" and "Where Corals Lie", was made on 10 November 1922, by [[Leila Megane]] (contralto) with Elgar conducting the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra. The same parties recorded the remaining three songs on 8 January 1923. These acoustic recordings were made for [[The Gramophone Company]] and appeared under the H.M.V. label, on 2 discs D674-5.<ref>Kennedy, p.366</ref> This can be heard on ''The Elgar Edition'' GEMMCDS 9951–5 ([http://www.pavilionrecords.com/ Pavilion Records])
* [[Larisa Avdeyeva]], [[State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation|USSR State Symphony Orchestra]], [[Yevgeny Svetlanov]]. ''Edward Elgar Sea Pictures & Symphony No. 2'' (recorded live at the Grand Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory, 11 April 1977. Sung in Russian; translations by Natalia Rozhdestvenskaya). Scribendum SC 032
* [[Janet Baker]], [[London Symphony Orchestra]], conductor Sir [[John Barbirolli]] (1965) is available on many EMI CDs (only some of which include texts), for example ''Elgar: Cello Concerto; Cockaigne; Sea Pictures'', EMI Classics 5 62886 2
* Dame Janet Baker, [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]], [[Vernon Handley]] ''London Philharmonic Orchestra plays Elgar'' LPO – LPO0016-0020 (recorded live 1984)
* [[Muriel Brunskill]] ''Elgar's Interpreters on Record Volume 2 – Historic Recordings'' (also includes recording by [[Clara Butt]]) Dutton CDAX8020
*[[Clara Butt]], Unidentified Orchestra, [[Hamilton Harty]] "Where corals lie" only. ''Dame Clara Butt (1872–1936)'' Prima Voce NI 7912. (Recording is also on ''Dame Clara Butt: Britain's Queen of Song'' GEM 0086)
* Elizabeth Campbell, [[Adelaide Symphony Orchestra]], [[Nicholas Braithwaite]] ''Elgar: Cello Concerto/Sea Pictures'' ABC Classics 4767966
* [[Yvonne Minton]], London Philharmonic Orchestra, [[Daniel Barenboim]]. ''Elgar''. CD collection of former recordings, 2002. Sony Classical 508249 2
* [[Sarah Connolly]], [[Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra]], Simon Wright ''Elgar: Music Makers / Sea Pictures'' Naxos 8.557710. This recording was a 2007 [[Grammy]] nominee, for the [[Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance]]
* [[Margreta Elkins]], [[Queensland Symphony Orchestra]], [[Werner Andreas Albert]] (August 1983) ''Margreta Elkins – The Classic Recordings'' ABC 461,922-2
* [[Lauris Elms]], [[Sydney Symphony|Sydney Symphony Orchestra]], [[John Hopkins (conductor)|John Hopkins]] LP RCA GL40749
* Linda Finnie, London Philharmonic Orchestra, [[Bryden Thomson]], (1991). ''Elgar: Sea Pictures, The Music Makers'' Chandos Records 9022
* [[Birgit Finnilä]], [[Geoffrey Parsons (pianist)|Geoffrey Parsons]] (piano). ''Baroque and Romantic Vocal Music'' BIS-CD-127
* [[Bernadette Greevy]], London Philharmonic Orchestra, [[Vernon Handley]] ''Elgar: Symphony No.2 / Sea Pictures'' Cfp 5753062
* [[Aafje Heynis]], "Sea Slumber Song" only. ''Het Puik van zoete kelen'' (''The Cream of Glorious Voices'') Philips Dutch Masters 464,385-2 [http://www.cantabile-subito.de/Contraltos/Dutch_Contraltos/hauptteil_dutch_contraltos.html "Sea Slumber Song" audio sample]
* [[Konrad Jarnot]] (baritone), Reinild Mees (piano) ''Elgar: Complete Songs for Voice and Piano Vol. 1'' [[Channel Classics Records]] CCS SA 27507
* [[Mary Jarred]], contralto; The BBC Orchestra, Section F; Clarence Raybould, conductor ''Elgar's Interpreters on Record, Volume 5: Broadcasts from the Leech Collection at the British Library (1935–1950)'' Elgar Society EECD003-005 ("Sea Slumber Song" complete, "Sabbath Morning at Sea" to bar 84, "The Swimmer" bars between 74 and 107 are missing)
* [[Della Jones]], [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]], [[Charles Mackerras]] ''The British Music Collection – Edward Elgar'' Decca 4732492
* Rosemarie Lang, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Hans-Peter Frank c/w [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]] ''[[Wesendonck Lieder]]'' and [[Gösta Nystroem]] ''Sănger vid havet (Songs at the Sea)'' ''Wagner / Nystroem / Elgar: Lieder'' BIS-CD-530
* Claire-Louise Lucas (mezzo-soprano), Jonathan Darnborough (piano) Claudio Bohema CB5258-2 (This is the version with piano accompaniment.)
* [[Leila Megane]], Unidentified Orchestra, [[Edward Elgar]] (first complete recording made on 11 October 1922, with Elgar conducting) available in ''The Elgar Edition'' GEMMCDS 9951–5 ([http://www.pavilionrecords.com/ Pavilion Records]). ''Leila Megane'' Sain SCD2316 includes three songs from ''Sea Pictures''.
* [[Kerstin Meyer]] (mezzo-soprano), [[The Hallé|Hallé Orchestra]], Sir John Barbirolli (recorded live at the St. Nicholas Chapel, King's Lynn Festival, 24 July 1970. Barbirolli's last recorded concert. Includes Elgar's [[Symphony No. 1 (Elgar)|Symphony No. 1]]). Intaglio INCD 701-1
* [[Maartje Offers]] "Where Corals Lie" only. ''Het Puik van zoete kelen'' (''The Cream of Glorious Voices'') Philips Dutch Masters 464,385-2
* [[Felicity Palmer]], [[London Symphony Orchestra]], [[Richard Hickox]], ''Elgar Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op. 61; Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85; Sea Pictures'', Op. 37 Virgin 562425 2 / EMI CDM 5 65126 2
* [http://www.amandapitt.com/ Amanda Pitt] (soprano) [[David Owen Norris]] (piano) ''Songs & Piano Music by Edward Elgar'' AVIE AV 2129 (played on Elgar's 1844 Broadwood square piano and set in Elgar's original keys)
* [[Gladys Ripley]], Philharmonia Orchestra, [[George Weldon]] (Summer 1946) on HMV 78s C.3498/3500. CD release on ''The Dream of Gerontius and Sea Pictures'' Pearl GEMS 0128. Re-recorded for LP by Ripley and Weldon with the London Symphony Orchestra on 26 February 1954. Released on UK Columbia LP 33SX 1028 and US Capitol LP P-18017. Reissued on HMV Concert Classics XLP 30008. CD releases of this second version: Somm SOMMCD 073 and Pristine Audio PASC 196AS.
* [[Birgitta Svendén]], Orchestre philharmonique de Nice, John Carewe, (1991). ''Grands lieder [Ljudupptagning] Great songs / Mahler, Elgar, Zemlinsky'' Forlane UCD 16642
* Roderick Williams, [[BBC Concert Orchestra]], [[Martin Yates]] (2010) Dutton Epoch CDLX7243
* Catherine Wyn-Rogers, [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]], Sir [[Andrew Davis (conductor)|Andrew Davis]]. (2003, recorded on 30 July 2003 in the [[Royal Albert Hall]], London, as part of the [[The Proms|BBC Proms]]), CD title is not that clear but the CD includes [[William Walton|Walton]] ''Coronation Te Deum'', [[Edward Elgar|Elgar]] ''Sea Pictures'', [[Arnold Bax|Bax]] ''[[November Woods]]'', [[Benjamin Britten|Britten]] ''The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra'' Warner Classics 2564 61550-2
* [[Marilyn Horne]], [[New York Philharmonic Orchestra]], [[Zubin Mehta]], recorded on 6 June 1980, New York.

(Note: there is also a distinct work ''Merikuvia'' by the Finnish composer [[Uuno Klami]]. ''Merikuvia'' is usually translated into English as ''Sea Pictures''.)

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==
* {{cite book |last=Kennedy |first=Michael |authorlink=Michael Kennedy (music critic) |date=1987 |title= Portrait of Elgar |edition=Third |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-284017-7}}

== Further reading ==
* Elgar, Edward ''Sea Pictures: A Cycle of Five Songs for Contralto'' with German translation by Dr. Wilhelm Henzen and French words by George Petilleau Boosey & Hawkes Ltd. (Sheet music with libretti)

== External links ==
* [http://www.lieder.net/lieder/assemble_texts.html?SongCycleId=384 The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Archive Created and maintained by Emily Ezust] Texts of the songs set in music by Elgar and translations in various languages.
* [http://www.elgar.org/3seapics.htm The Elgar Society and Elgar Foundation]
* [http://www.americansymphony.org/dialogues_extensions/season/dialogue_detail.cfm?ID=19&season=2003-2004 Fred Kirshnit]
* [http://users.ox.ac.uk/~cont0230/Elgar%20VW%20talk/BLtalk.html The Songs of Elgar and Vaughan Williams]
* [[Michael Kennedy (music critic)|Michael Kennedy]] [http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/_downloads/File/Elgar%202007/Elgar%20Sea%20Pictures.pdf?PHPSESSID=pf74fnqnv263gd70u Sea Pictures, Op. 37]
* [http://numabe.exblog.jp/m2007-08-01/ CD Discography of "Sea Pictures" op. 37 by Edward Elgar]
* [http://www.sydneysymphony.com/sysfiles/attachments/PROG41_081107_Elgar2_SSO.pdf Sydney Symphony programme notes] (pp. 8–11)
* {{IMSLP2|work=Sea Pictures, Op.37 (Elgar, Edward)|cname=Sea Pictures}}

[[Category:Song cycles by Edward Elgar]]
[[Category:Classical song cycles in English]]
[[Category:1899 compositions]]

Sea Pictures

2016-04-25T00:52:47Z

Scott: Created page with "This is a test page."

This is a test page.

Music - User contributions [en]

Sea Pictures

Sea Pictures

Sea Pictures