''Sea Pictures, Op. 37'' is a song cycle by Sir

Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

consisting of five songs written by various poets. It was set for

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

and orchestra, though a distinct version for piano was often performed by Elgar. Many

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middl ...

s have sung the piece. The songs are: * " Sea Slumber Song" by

Roden Noel Roden is a name of Germanic origin, originally meaning "red valley" or an anglicization of the Gaelic name "O'Rodain". It may refer to: Places * Roden, Bavaria, a town in the Main-Spessart district of Bavaria, Germany * Roden, Netherlands, a tow ...

(approximately 4 minutes) * " In Haven (Capri)" by

Caroline Alice Elgar Caroline Alice, Lady Elgar (9 October 18487 April 1920) was an English author of verse and prose fiction, who married the composer Edward Elgar. Family Caroline Alice Roberts, known as Alice, was born in Bhuj, Gujarat, India, in 1848. She was ...

, the composer's wife (under 2 minutes) * " Sabbath Morning at Sea" by

Elizabeth Barrett Browning Elizabeth Barrett Browning (née Moulton-Barrett; 6 March 1806 – 29 June 1861) was an English poet of the Victorian era, popular in Britain and the United States during her lifetime. Born in County Durham, the eldest of 12 children, Elizabet ...

(approximately 4 minutes) * " Where Corals Lie" by Richard Garnett (approximately 3 minutes) * " The Swimmer" by

Adam Lindsay Gordon Adam Lindsay Gordon (19 October 1833 – 24 June 1870) was a British-Australian poet, horseman, police officer and politician. He was the first Australian poet to gain considerable recognition overseas, and according to his contemporary, write ...

(approximately 5 minutes) Much of the vocal line of the first song, "Sea Slumber Song", is heard again in other parts of the cycle; most notably, the second stanza is heard again almost in its entirety as part of the finale.

History

Elgar composed the piece on his 1894 Broadwood Square piano while residing at Birchwood Lodge, Great Storridge in

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouths ...

. The songs were originally written in high keys for a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880& ...

voice, but transposed to lower keys for the orchestral version, largely at the request of the contralto Clara Butt. The songs were composed in July 1899 (apart from " In Haven (Capri)", which was a reworking of his 1897 " Love alone will stay").Kennedy, p.101 The premiere was on 5 October 1899 at the

Norfolk and Norwich Festival Norfolk & Norwich Festival is an arts festival held annually in Norwich, England. It is one of the oldest city festivals in England, having been held since 1824 and tracing its roots back further to 1772. It was initially conceived as a fundra ...

with Elgar himself conducting and Clara Butt singing, dressed as a mermaid. On 7 October, Clara Butt gave the first London performance at

St. James's Hall St. James's Hall was a concert hall in London that opened on 25 March 1858, designed by architect and artist Owen Jones, who had decorated the interior of the Crystal Palace. It was situated between the Quadrant in Regent Street and Piccadilly, ...

, with Elgar at the piano. Nearly two weeks later, on 20 October, Butt performed it for

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

at Balmoral. Until August 1900, Elgar's songs had been published by Novello: but Elgar had a disagreement with them, and from then his songs, including " The Pipes of Pan" and ''Sea Pictures'' were published by

Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and woodwind musical instruments. Formed in 1930 thro ...

, who bought the copyright for £50, with a small royalty per copy of the songs published separately. ''Sea Pictures'' was also published in the following languages: * German: ''See-Bilder'' with words by Dr. Wilhelm Henzen * French: ''Marines'' with words by George Petilleau.

Other versions

While the cycle is heard most often in its canonical form for contralto and symphony orchestra, it can also be performed as a work for voice and piano, and in recent years some sopranos have taken up the work using Elgar's original keys. In 2010, the British composer Donald Fraser made a version of Sea Pictures for SATB chorus and strings. The first recording of that version was made by the

English Chamber Orchestra The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and their ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall. The orchestra regularly tours in the UK and internationall ...

, Rodolfus Choir and conductor

Kenneth Woods Kenneth Allen Woods (born 1968) is an American conductor, composer and cellist, resident in the UK. Early career Woods studied conducting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His subsequent conducting mentors have includ ...

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music ...

in 2013. Fraser's arrangement was hailed by Stephen Johnson in BBC Music Magazine as "beautifully realised, performed with warmth and understanding, and sympathetically recorded." Fraser has also made a version of the work for SATB chorus and large symphony orchestra.

Recording

*The first recording, of "In Haven" and "Where Corals Lie", was made on 10 November 1922, by Leila Megane (contralto) with Elgar conducting the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra. The same parties recorded the remaining three songs on 8 January 1923. These acoustic recordings were made for The Gramophone Company and appeared under the H.M.V. label, on 2 discs D674-5.Kennedy, p.366 This can be heard on ''The Elgar Edition'' GEMMCDS 9951–5
Pavilion Records
*

Larisa Avdeyeva Larisa Ivanovna Avdeyeva or Avdeeva (russian: Лариса Ивановна Авдеева; 21 June 192510 March 2013) was a Soviet and Russian mezzo-soprano, who starred with the Bolshoi Opera for thirty years. People’s Artist of the RSFSR (196 ...

, USSR State Symphony Orchestra,

Yevgeny Svetlanov Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov (russian: Евгéний Фёдорович Светлáнов; 6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Russian conductor, composer and a pianist. Life and work Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting ...

. ''Edward Elgar Sea Pictures & Symphony No. 2'' (recorded live at the Grand Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory, 11 April 1977. Sung in Russian; translations by Natalia Rozhdestvenskaya). Scribendum SC 032 * Janet Baker,

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

, conductor Sir

John Barbirolli Sir John Barbirolli ( Giovanni Battista Barbirolli; 2 December 189929 July 1970) was a British conductor and cellist. He is remembered above all as conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, which he helped save from dissolution in 194 ...

(1965) is available on many EMI CDs (only some of which include texts), for example ''Elgar: Cello Concerto; Cockaigne; Sea Pictures'', EMI Classics 5 62886 2 * Dame Janet Baker,

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symp ...

Vernon Handley Vernon George "Tod" Handley (11 November 1930 – 10 September 2008) was a British conductor (music), conductor, known in particular for his support of British composers. He was born of a Welsh people, Welsh father and an Irish people, Irish mo ...

''London Philharmonic Orchestra plays Elgar'' LPO – LPO0016-0020 (recorded live 1984) *

Rodolfus Choir The Rodolfus Choir was founded by Ralph Allwood in 1984. It is a choir of singers aged 16-23. Many members have previously taken part in Rodolfus Choral Courses (formerly the Eton Choral Courses), though membership of the choir is open to all via a ...

. 2013, recorded on 31 July 2013 in Abbey Road Studios. Avie Records AV2362. Version for SATB choir and string orchestra arr. Donald Fraser, coupled with Fraser's orchestration of Elgar's Piano Quintet. *

Muriel Brunskill Muriel Lucy Brunskill (18 December 1899 – 18 February 1980) was an English contralto of the mid-twentieth century. Her career included concert, operatic and recital performance from the early 1920s until the 1950s. She worked with many of the ...

''Elgar's Interpreters on Record Volume 2 – Historic Recordings'' (also includes recording by Clara Butt) Dutton CDAX8020 * Clara Butt, Unidentified Orchestra,

Hamilton Harty Sir Herbert Hamilton Harty (4 December 1879 – 19 February 1941) was an Irish composer, conductor, pianist and organist. After an early career as a church organist in his native Ireland, Harty moved to London at about age 20, soon becoming a w ...

"Where corals lie" only. ''Dame Clara Butt (1872–1936)'' Prima Voce NI 7912. (Recording is also on ''Dame Clara Butt: Britain's Queen of Song'' GEM 0086) * Elizabeth Campbell,

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a South Australian performing arts organisation comprising 75 full-time musicians, established in 1936. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, the orchestra's primary performance venue is the Adelaide Town Ha ...

Nicholas Braithwaite Nicholas Paul Dallon Braithwaite (born 26 August 1939, London)''International Who's Who In Classical Music'', 2003 Edition, p. 94 (Europa Publications Ltd., London, England) is an English conductor. He is the son of the conductor Warwick Brai ...

''Elgar: Cello Concerto/Sea Pictures'' ABC Classics 4767966 *

Yvonne Minton Yvonne Fay Minton CBE (born 4 December 1938) is an Australian-born but mostly British-resident opera singer. She is variously billed as a soprano, mezzo-soprano or contralto. A native of Sydney, she originally studied voice while on a scholarshi ...

, London Philharmonic Orchestra,

Daniel Barenboim Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...

. ''Elgar''. CD collection of former recordings, 2002. Sony Classical 508249 2 * Sarah Connolly,

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...

, Simon Wright ''Elgar: Music Makers / Sea Pictures'' Naxos 8.557710. This recording was a 2007

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominee, for the

Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by man ...

* Alice Coote,

The Hallé The Hallé is an English symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England. It supports a choir, youth choir, youth training choir, children's choir and a youth orchestra, and releases its recordings on its own record label, though it has occasiona ...

Sir Mark Elder Sir Mark Philip Elder (born 2 June 1947) is a British conductor. He is currently music director of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England. Life and career Elder was born in Hexham, Northumberland, the son of a dentist. He played the ba ...

, recorded on 5–7 August 2014, Manchester. *

Margreta Elkins Margreta Elkins (born Margaret Ann Enid Geater; 16 October 19301 April 2009) was an Australian mezzo-soprano. She sang at The Royal Opera and with Opera Australia and other companies, but turned down offers to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, Bay ...

, Queensland Symphony Orchestra,

Werner Andreas Albert Werner Andreas Albert (10 January 1935 – 10 November 2019) was a German-born Australian conductor. Personal life Albert was born in Weinheim. He began his studies in musicology and history, and later studied conducting with Herbert von Kar ...

(August 1983) ''Margreta Elkins – The Classic Recordings'' ABC 461,922-2 *

Lauris Elms Lauris Margaret Elms (born 20 October 1931) is an Australian retired contralto, renowned for her roles in opera and lieder and as a recording artist. Biography She was born in Springvale, Victoria, the elder daughter of Harry Britton Elms and ...

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and f ...

, John Hopkins LP RCA GL40749 * Linda Finnie, London Philharmonic Orchestra,

Bryden Thomson Bryden Thomson (16 July 1928 – 14 November 1991) was a Scottish conductor remembered especially for his championship of British and Scandinavian composers. His recordings include influential surveys of the orchestral music of Hamilton Harty a ...

, (1991). ''Elgar: Sea Pictures, The Music Makers'' Chandos Records 9022 *

Birgit Finnilä Birgit Finnilä (born 20 January 1931) is a Swedish contralto and opera singer. Finnilä was born in Falkenberg, Sweden and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She made her operatic debut in Gothenburg in 1967. Though principally si ...

, Geoffrey Parsons (piano). ''Baroque and Romantic Vocal Music'' BIS-CD-127 *

Bernadette Greevy Bernadette Greevy (3 July 1940 – 26 September 2008) was an Irish mezzo-soprano. She was founder and artistic director of the Anna Livia Dublin International Opera Festival.''The Irish Times'', "Festival seeks to promote opera among young peopl ...

, London Philharmonic Orchestra,

''Elgar: Symphony No.2 / Sea Pictures'' Cfp 5753062 *

Aafje Heynis Aafje Heynis (2 May 1924 – 16 December 2015) was a Dutch contralto. In 1961, she was awarded the Harriet Cohen International Music Award. A tea rose, hybridised by Buisman 1964, was named after her. She died on 16 December 2015, aged 91. Di ...

, "Sea Slumber Song" only. ''Het Puik van zoete kelen'' (''The Cream of Glorious Voices'') Philips Dutch Masters 464,385-
"Sea Slumber Song" audio sample
*

Marilyn Horne Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages. She is a recipient of the Natio ...

New York Philharmonic Orchestra The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father was the fou ...

, recorded on 6 June 1980, New York. *

Konrad Jarnot Konrad Jarnot (born 1972) is an English baritone who works in opera and oratorio and is a notable performer of Lieder. He is a professor at the Robert Schumann Hochschule. Early life Born at Brighton,Channel Classics Records CCS SA 27507 *

Mary Jarred Mary Jarred (9 October 189912 December 1993) was an English opera singer of the mid-twentieth century. She is sometimes classed as a mezzo-soprano and sometimes as a contralto. Biography Jarred was born in Brotton, Yorkshire, (now in Redcar and ...

, contralto; The BBC Orchestra, Section F; Clarence Raybould, conductor ''Elgar's Interpreters on Record, Volume 5: Broadcasts from the Leech Collection at the British Library (1935–1950)'' Elgar Society EECD003-005 ("Sea Slumber Song" complete, "Sabbath Morning at Sea" to bar 84, "The Swimmer" bars between 74 and 107 are missing) * Della Jones,

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

Charles Mackerras Mackerras in 2005 Sir Alan Charles MacLaurin Mackerras (; 1925 2010) was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. He was long associated with the Engli ...

''The British Music Collection – Edward Elgar'' Decca 4732492 *

Rosemarie Lang Rosemarie Lang (21 May 1947 – 12 January 2017) was a German operatic mezzo-soprano. Life Born in Grünstädtel, Lang studied at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig with Elisabeth Breul, Eva Schubert-Hoffmann and Helga Forner. At the 1 ...

, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Hans-Peter Frank c/w

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

Wesendonck Lieder , WWV 91, is the common name of a set of five songs for female voice and piano by Richard Wagner, (''Five Poems for a Female Voice''). He set five poems by Mathilde Wesendonck while he was working on his opera ''Tristan und Isolde''. The songs, ...

'' and

Gösta Nystroem Gösta Nystroem (Silvberg, 13 October 1890 – Särö, 9 August 1966) was a Swedish composer. Nystroem, originally ''Nyström'', was born in Silvberg, Sweden, a parish in the province of Dalarna, but spent most of his childhood in Österhan ...

''Sănger vid havet (Songs at the Sea)'' ''Wagner / Nystroem / Elgar: Lieder'' BIS-CD-530 * Claire-Louise Lucas (mezzo-soprano), Jonathan Darnborough (piano) Claudio Bohema CB5258-2 (This is the version with piano accompaniment.) * Leila Megane, Unidentified Orchestra,

(first complete recording made on 11 October 1922, with Elgar conducting) available in ''The Elgar Edition'' GEMMCDS 9951–5
Pavilion Records
. ''Leila Megane'' Sain SCD2316 includes three songs from ''Sea Pictures''. * Kerstin Meyer (mezzo-soprano), Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli (recorded live at the St. Nicholas Chapel, King's Lynn Festival, 24 July 1970. Barbirolli's last recorded concert. Includes Elgar's Symphony No. 1). Intaglio INCD 701-1 * Maartje Offers "Where Corals Lie" only. ''Het Puik van zoete kelen'' (''The Cream of Glorious Voices'') Philips Dutch Masters 464,385-2 *

Felicity Palmer Dame Felicity Joan Palmer, (born 6 April 1944), is an English mezzo-soprano and music professor. She sang soprano roles until 1983. Palmer was born in Cheltenham and educated at Erith Grammar School, now named Erith School. She studied at the ...

Richard Hickox Richard Sidney Hickox (5 March 1948 – 23 November 2008) was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music. Early life Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family. After attending the Royal Gram ...

, ''Elgar Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op. 61; Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85; Sea Pictures'', Op. 37 Virgin 562425 2 / EMI CDM 5 65126 2
Amanda Pitt
(soprano) David Owen Norris (piano) ''Songs & Piano Music by Edward Elgar'' AVIE AV 2129 (played on Elgar's 1844 Broadwood square piano and set in Elgar's original keys) * Gladys Ripley, Philharmonia Orchestra,

George Weldon George Anthony Thomas Weldon (5 June 1908, in Chichester, England – 17 August 1963, in South Africa) was an English conductor. Biography Weldon was the son of Major F H Weldon of the Sherwood Foresters."Mr. George Weldon", ''The Times'', ...

(Summer 1946) on HMV 78s C.3498/3500. CD release on ''The Dream of Gerontius and Sea Pictures'' Pearl GEMS 0128. Re-recorded for LP by Ripley and Weldon with the London Symphony Orchestra on 26 February 1954. Released on UK Columbia LP 33SX 1028 and US Capitol LP P-18017. Reissued on HMV Concert Classics XLP 30008. CD releases of this second version: Somm SOMMCD 073 and Pristine Audio PASC 196AS. * Birgitta Svendén, Orchestre philharmonique de Nice, John Carewe, (1991). ''Grands lieder judupptagningGreat songs / Mahler, Elgar, Zemlinsky'' Forlane UCD 16642 * Roderick Williams,

BBC Concert Orchestra The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale sym ...

Martin Yates Martin Yates (born 1 July 1958, London) is a British conductor. After attending Kimbolton School (1969–1974), he studied at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music, London, where his teachers included Bernard Keeffe (conducti ...

(2010) Dutton Epoch CDLX7243 * Catherine Wyn-Rogers,

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. T ...

, Sir Andrew Davis. (2003, recorded on 30 July 2003 in the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

, London, as part of the

BBC Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

), CD title is not that clear but the CD includes

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingdo ...

''Coronation Te Deum'',

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

''Sea Pictures'', Bax '' November Woods'',

Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

''The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra'' Warner Classics 2564 61550-2

Notes

References

External links

The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Archive Created and maintained by Emily Ezust
Texts of the songs set in music by Elgar and translations in various languages.

Fred Kirshnit

* Michael Kennedybr>Sea Pictures, Op. 37

CD Discography of "Sea Pictures" op. 37 by Edward Elgar

Sydney Symphony programme notes
(pp. 8–11) * {{Authority control Song cycles by Edward Elgar Classical song cycles in English 1899 compositions