《Salut d’Amour, Op.12》

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

Edward Elgar was a British composer. Despite being of a purely British ancestry, Elgar was actually influenced quite a lot by other European composers. His harmonies possess a profoundly German harmonic foundation, but at the same time his style is closer to the relaxed and quiet character of French composers Georges Bizet (1838-1875) and Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) . His small pieces have enchanting melodic lines and show a sophisticated workmanship. Salut d’Amour was written in July of 1888, initially for violin and piano. He named the piece Liebesgruss in German, and gave it to his fiancee Caroline Alice Roberts, using music to express the passionate feelings of his heart. The orchestral arrangement of the piece premiered in November the following year at England’s Crystal Palace. A violin made by British luthier Daniel Parker (1705-1761) in 1720 is used in this recording. The well-known violin melody of the piece allows the original sweetness of the melody to be even more joyful sounding.