Speak, Music!
Speak, Music! is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1901 as his Op.41, No.2.
The words are from The Song in the book of verse The Professor, and other poems by A. C. Benson.[1] It was dedicated to 'Mrs. Edward Speyer, Ridgehurst'.[2]
At about the same time Elgar wrote a song In the Dawn, as his Op. 41, No. 1, with words from the same poem. The two songs were first performed in the Queen's Hall on 26 October 1901.
Lyrics
SPEAK, MUSIC
- Speak, speak, music, and bring to me
- Fancies too fleet for me,
- Sweetness too sweet for me,
- Wake, wake, voices, and sing to me,
- Sing to me tenderly; bid me rest.
- Rest, Rest! ah, I am fain of it!
- Die, Hope! small was my gain of it!
- Song, [song] take thy parable,
- Whisper, whisper that all is well,
- Say, say that there tarrieth
- Something, something more true than death.
- Waiting to smile for me; bright and blest.
- Thrill, thrill, string: echo and play for me
- All, all that the poet, the priest cannot say for me;
- Soar, voice, soar, heavenwards, and pray for me,
- Wondering, wandering; bid me rest.
Music
The uncommon time signature 15/8 is not found in any of Elgar's other songs.
Recordings
- Songs and Piano Music by Edward Elgar has "Speak, Music" performed by Mark Wilde (tenor), with David Owen Norris (piano).
- Elgar: Complete Songs for Voice & Piano Amanda Roocroft (soprano), Reinild Mees (piano)
- The Songs of Edward Elgar SOMM CD 220 Catherine Wyn-Rogers (soprano) with Malcolm Martineau (piano), at Southlands College, London, April 1999
References
- ^ A. C. Benson, "The Professor, and other poems", London and New York, John Lane, 1900
- ^ Mrs. Edward Speyer was Antonia Kufferath, the Belgian-born soprano, daughter of Alice Elgar's old piano teacher Ferdinand Kufferath and wife of Elgar's friend the wealthy banker Edward Speyer. 'Ridgehurst' was their home at Shenley, Hertfordshire. Not to be confused with Sir Edgar Speyer and Lady Speyer (the latter a professional violinist Leonora von Stosch)
- Banfield, Stephen, Sensibility and English Song: Critical studies of the early 20th century (Cambridge University Press, 1985) ISBN 0-521-37944-X
- Michael Kennedy, Portrait of Elgar (Oxford University Press, 1968) ISBN 0-19-315414-5
External links
- Speak, Music!: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- v
- t
- e
Edward Elgar
- Diarmuid and Grania (1901)
- The Crown of India (1911–12)
- The Starlight Express (1915–16)
- The Sanguine Fan (1917)
- Symphony No. 1 (1907–08)
- Symphony No. 2 (1909–11)
- Symphony No. 3 (1932–34; completed by Payne in 1997)
- The Wand of Youth (1869–1907)
- Powick Asylum Music (1879–1884)
- Sevillana (1884)
- Froissart (1890)
- Sursum corda (1894)
- Serenade for Strings (1894)
- Three Bavarian Dances (1898)
- Enigma Variations (1899)
- Cockaigne Overture (1900–01)
- Pomp and Circumstance Marches (1901–30)
- Dream Children (1902)
- Introduction and Allegro (1904–05)
- In the South (Alassio) (1904–05)
- Elegy (1909)
- Falstaff (1913)
- Sospiri (1914)
- Carillon (1914)
- Polonia (1915)
- Une voix dans le désert (1915)
- Le drapeau belge (1917)
- Nursery Suite (1930)
- The Severn Suite (1930)
- Violin Concerto (1901–10)
- Romance (1910)
- Cello Concerto (1918–19)
- Duett for trombone and double bass (1887)
- Idylle (1883)
- Salut d'Amour (1888)
- Chanson de Nuit (1897)
- Chanson de Matin (1899)
- Violin Sonata (1918)
- String Quartet (1918)
- Piano Quintet (1918–19)
- Organ Sonata (1898)
- Concert Allegro (1901)
- The Black Knight (1889–93)
- From the Bavarian Highlands (1895–96)
- The Dream of Gerontius (1899–1900)
- The Kingdom (1901–06)
- Coronation Ode (1902)
- The Apostles (1902–03)
- The Music Makers (1912)
- The Spirit of England (1915–17)
- "The Language of Flowers" (1872)
- "The Self Banished" (1875)
- "A War Song" (1884)
- Seven Lieder
- "Like to the Damask Rose" (1892)
- "Queen Mary's Song" (1889)
- "A Song of Autumn" (1892)
- "The Poet's Life" (1892)
- "Through the Long Days" (1885)
- "Rondel" (1894)
- "The Shepherd's Song" (1892)
- "Is she not passing fair?" (1886)
- "As I laye a-thynkynge" (1888)
- "The Wind at Dawn" (1888)
- "After" (1900)
- "A Song of Flight" (1900)
- Sea Pictures
- "Sea Slumber Song"
- "In Haven"
- "Sabbath Morning at Sea"
- "Where Corals Lie"
- "The Swimmer" (1897–99)
- "Dry those fair, those crystal eyes" (1899)
- "Always and Everywhere" (1901)
- "Come, Gentle Night!" (1901)
- "In the Dawn" (1901)
- "Speak, Music!" (1901)
- "There are seven that pull the thread" (1901)
- "In Moonlight" ((1904)
- "Follow the Colours" (1907)
- "Pleading" (1908)
- "A Child Asleep" (1909)
- "Oh, soft was the song" (1910)
- "Was it some Golden Star?" (1910)
- "Twilight" (1910)
- "The Chariots of the Lord" (1914)
- "Fight for Right" (1916)
- "Inside the Bar" (1917)
- "The Blue Mountains" (1924)
- "The Immortal Legions" (1924)
- Pageant of Empire (1924)
- "XTC" (1930)
- Category