The River is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1909 as his Op.60, No.2.
On the title-page it is described as a "Folk-Song (Eastern Europe), [1] paraphrased by Pietro d’Alba and Edward Elgar". [2]
It was one of a set of a cycle of four songs that he planned, to his own words. It was shortly after writing the song A Child Asleep for Muriel Foster, a few days before the Christmas of 1909 that Elgar received the news of the death of a friend the soprano Olga Ouroussoff, the young wife of Henry Wood. The inspiration for the songs was the result of this news. Only the first song of the cycle, The Torch and the last, The River were written.
It was orchestrated in July 1912 and, with its companion song The Torch , it was first performed by Muriel Foster at the Hereford Music Festival on 11 September 1912.
A footnote to the poem explains the personification of the invoked river. The tempo of the music is an appropriately dramatic Allegro con fuoco.
The song was written by Elgar at his home "Plas Gwyn" outside Hereford, very close to the River Wye and it is likely that the song was inspired by the sight of the river which had flooded the fields that Christmas.
At the end of the manuscript Elgar wrote (Leyrisch-Turasp 1909), which mysterious "place-name" Jerrold Northrop Moore [3] suggests was Elgar's anagram of a German version of Peter Rabbit: Petrus Has[e] Lyric. [4] However Garry Humphreys points out [5] that Elgar's home was not far from the flood-meadows at Tupsley, and Leyrisch-Turasp is another (loose) anagram of Tupsley Parish. [6] Another of Elgar's riddles.
THE RIVER*
• NOTE-… “The river was in full flood and, had it remained so another twenty-four hours,
would undoubtedly have overwhelmed the enemy : but it sank far below its normal level
more rapidly than it had risen three days before.”
The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, is a work for voices and orchestra in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by Saint John Henry Newman. It relates the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God and settling into Purgatory. Elgar disapproved of the use of the term "oratorio" for the work, though his wishes are not always followed. The piece is widely regarded as Elgar's finest choral work, and some consider it his masterpiece.
Was it some Golden Star? is a poem written by Gilbert Parker, published in Volume I of a series of poems called Embers. It was set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1910, as his Op. 59, No. 5.
Oh, soft was the song is a song with words by Gilbert Parker set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1910, as his Op. 59, No. 3. It is the second and last verse of a poem At Sea which Parker published in Volume I of a series of poems called Embers. The Opus 59 songs were part of a song-cycle of six romantic songs by Parker that was never completed – Nos 1, 2 and 4 were never composed. The other songs were Was it some Golden Star? and Twilight. The songs were originally written with piano accompaniment, but this was later re-scored by the composer for full orchestra.
"A Child Asleep" is a song, with lyrics from a poem written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It was set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in December 1909 and published in 1910 by Novello. It was first published by Browning in 1840.
The Torch is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1909 as his Op.60, No.1.
”The Shepherd’s Song” is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1892. The words are by Barry Pain.
”Through the Long Days” is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1885 as his Op.16, No.2. The words are from a poem by the American writer and statesman John Hay.
”Rondel” is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1894 as his Op.16, No.3. The words are by Longfellow, a translation of a Rondel by Froissart. The manuscript is dated 4 January 1894.
”Like to the Damask Rose” is a poem either by Francis Quarles called "Hos ego versiculos", or by Simon Wastell called “The flesh profiteth nothing”. It was set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1892.
"Come, Gentle Night!" is a poem by Clifton Bingham set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1901.
”Always and Everywhere” is a song by the English composer Edward Elgar with words translated from the Polish of Zygmunt Krasiński by Frank H. Fortey. It was composed and published in 1901.
”There are seven that pull the thread” is a song with words by W. B. Yeats, and music written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1901.
”The King’s Way” is a poem set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1909. The words were written by his wife, Caroline Alice Elgar.
"The Blue Mountains" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley Park, London, on 21 July 1924.
Seven Lieder is a set of songs by the English composer Edward Elgar published together in 1907, by Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew Ltd.
Salut d'Amour (Liebesgruß), Op. 12, is a musical work composed by Edward Elgar in 1888, originally written for violin and piano.
Coronation Ode, Op. 44 is a work composed by Edward Elgar for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, chorus and orchestra, with words by A. C. Benson.
"Carissima" is a piece for small orchestra by the English composer Sir Edward Elgar.
From the Bavarian Highlands, Op 27 is a work for choir and orchestra by Edward Elgar.