《Chanson de Matin, Op. 15, No. 2》

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

Edward Elgar was a British composer. He was knighted a duke. Chanson de Matin was written in 1897 for violin and piano for an amateur violinist named Worcester. It was published in 1899 with the same opus number as another piece named Chanson de Nuit, together forming a pair. Elgar eventually arranged these pieces for orchestra, which priemered in London in 1901. When the two pieces are compared, Chanson de Matin is typically thought to be lighter, simpler and possessing a more relaxed form than that of Chanson de Nuit; moreover, it is also more popular than the latter because of its gorgeous melodic lines. Just as Elgar conventionally does in his music, Chanson de Matin is full of a sense of happiness, and in two short minutes he takes the listener on a journey, drifting far away into the realm of dreams. A cello made by British luthier Thomas Dodd in 1800 was used for this recording. The recording possesses both the sense of quiet seclusion found in the violin verson as well as the capriousness of the orchestral arrangement, forming a sweet and warm atmosphere worthy of the listener’s enjoyment and reflection.