Edward Elgar - Sospiri

[@NonInflatable]

Elgar wrote this in 1914 and it was premiered just before the outbreak of the Great War. He seemed to know a way of life was life was ending, and you can hear it in the terrible aching sadness of the piece. Utterly heartbreaking.

[@NonInflatable]

This melody was dedicated to his great friend, the violinist Billy Reed. We owe Billy Reed a debt of gratitude in that he couldn't bring himself to carry out Elgar's deathbed instruction that the sketches for his Third Symphony should be burnt.

[@HerrProfessorDoktor]

As both a string orchestra conductor and a composer for strings, as well as a specialist in British music of the lat nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, I rank this as one of the three finest works ever written for string orchestra, with the Ralph Vaughan Williams "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" and the Samuel Barber "Adagio for Strings." Elgar brilliantly placed the instruments in their most expressive ranges in creating a work small in scope yet enormous in its power and passion.

[@martincook318]

If this Recording is what I think it is then I've got a Mint first Pressing Stereo on His Master's Voice white and Gold and Sir John Barbirolli was as good as Sir Adrian Boult on Sir Edward Edgar's Music and the Recording came out in 1963

[@martincook318]

That War cost 10 Million lives and even today Reminds of Soldiers both British and German are still being found on the former Battle fields of France and Belgium 104 years after that war was finished

[@AsterianMist]

one of the best songs we ever played in orchestra....we all put so much emotion into this.

[@vasiliskardasis8642]

Elgar captures the most sensitive and emotional moment of “sighing” A moment we’re all familiar with. A deep longing and some regret. Sospiri offers a landscape of a dedication to love.

[@outremmer44]

this is just wonderfull music,just wish people would just listen and enjoy

[@Tiggybel]

to me it describes the end to something, anything, but with absolute beauty

[@TheVaughan5]

Possibly the most profound music ever written.

[@crossleydd42]

The Great War was a tragedy in ways other than the pointless loss of life, ruin and cost on all sides. Friendships forged in the common bond of music were fractured, for example, and never really recovered before Hitler started on the rampage once again!

[@meredith218461]

What an intensly sad and haunting piece.

[@johnwiens]

That is just beautiful

[@MintChocChip100]

OMG this is beautiful, I have to play this for my orchestra

[@mikeclarke6537]

found this rather moving in fact had to wipe away a tear from my eye

[@FunVanDriver]

Best. song. EVER!

[@deccon16]

One of my favourite Elgar pieces. Thanks for posting!

[@MrJasonfranks]

This piece of art is not about what you talk about. Elgar cannot be co-opted in this way.

[@eldeano1]

elgar you music making machine

[@Massev6871]

so beautiful........

[@maggieliu4182]

So Beautiful

[@sofiaclassic91]

Fantastico

[@CaitlinMCViolist]

The best part was from 0:00-4:37

[@mattjohnson9962]

How much I care about my brother, trying to get help so he could get better until the end.

[@musiclady49]

This reminds me a bit of John Barry's music for "Dances With Wolves". I wonder if Elgar was his inspiration. Elgar wrote some beautiful music!

[@meredith218461]

Please dont associate Elgar with John Barry!

[@Wavewolfaroha]

@HerrProfessorDoktor Couldn't agree more, as a violist!

[@ejkosasih]

orchestra/conductior?

[@MrArdelco1970]

POetry

[@aliahmadzade5292]

ok

[@MrJasonfranks]

Rubbish. Listen. At 3.49+ he finds resolution. How's that life(-style) ending?