Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Brianna (class of 2023) and features English composer Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto (1919). Thanks, Brianna!
Cello Concerto, Op. 85
Edward Elgar
British composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
The Elgar Cello Concerto is one of the most famous and recognized concertos written for solo cello. Composed by Edward Elgar in the aftermath of World War I, this concerto first debuted in 1919 (the same year in which it was written).
The work did not become a cornerstone of solo cello repertoire until a recording by Jacqueline Du Pré caught the attention of the public. Her recording was so captivating that Rostropovich is said to have removed it from his own repertoire after hearing her play.
This piece is one of my favorite cello concertos, and while I also believe that no one can play this better than Du Pré, I greatly enjoyed my time learning from this piece. It is absolutely a work that every solo cellist should play at least once in their career!