Edward Elgar

He only began composing at the age of thirty-two and his first works were clumsy and conceived as a prolongation of Romantic music. Determined, the composer made his debut in London in 1897 with the Imperial March, which was a success. It was at the age of forty that he achieved glory. The Enigma Variations and Sea Pictures showed the greatness of his musical vision. The official commissions came in quick succession and Edward Elgar, while avoiding any vulgarity, produced popular music as well as some masterpieces like his Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 2 (1911).

Elgar's work

Edward Elgar managed to delve into the most passionate and intimate secrets and reconcile the sensitivities of Brahms and Bruckner. The British consider Elgar to be one of the greatest composers since Henry Purcell. He paved the way for Ralph Vaughan Williams.