''Chanson de Matin'' (Morning Song), Op. 15, No. 2, is a musical work composed by

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 ...

for violin and piano, and later orchestrated by the composer. Its first publication was in 1899, though it is thought that it was almost certainly written in 1889 or 1890. Elgar also composed a "companion" piece, '' Chanson de Nuit'', Op. 15, No. 1. To some critics ''Chanson de Matin'' is the less profound of the two works, however, its fresh melodic appeal has made it more popular. The orchestral version of the work was published two years later, and first performed, together with ''Chanson de Nuit'', at a

Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. Fro ...

Promenade Concert conducted by

Henry Wood Sir Henry Joseph Wood (3 March 186919 August 1944) was an English conductor best known for his association with London's annual series of promenade concerts, known as the Proms. He conducted them for nearly half a century, introducing hundr ...

on 14 September 1901. Elgar briefly quotes the melody in the second movement of his String Quartet in E minor of 1918.

Structure

Allegretto, 2/4,

G major G major is a major scale based on G (musical note), G, with the pitches G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, C (musical note), C, D (musical note), D, E (musical note), E, and F♯ (musical note), F. Its key signature has one sharp (music ...

\relative c' \new Staff \with Elgar being a violinist himself, the main melody of the piece is scored for the aforesaid instrument. Following a short two-bar introduction on the piano the violin soars high with a G and sings the first part of the song. Following this the piano takes the baton for a short passage before handing it back to the violinist. This pattern happens once again. As the ending comes, the violin sings an accentuated G, then B as the piano slowly brings it to a close. It means 'morning song'

Instrumentation

Elgar scored ''Chanson de Matin'' (and ''Chanson de Nuit'') for a small orchestra consisting of one

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

, one

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

, two clarinets, one

bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...

, two horns, the

string section The string section of an orchestra is composed of bowed instruments belonging to the violin family. It normally consists of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. It is the most numerous group in the standard orchestra. In ...

, and a

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

Arrangements

The work is most well known in its original setting and the composer's orchestral version. The most important are his arrangements for

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

and piano, and for

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

and piano; and by his friend A. Herbert Brewer for

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

. There are arrangements for other instruments, including oboe and piano, recorder ensemble (Dom Gregory Murray), brass quintet (Roger Harvey), and for brass band and wind band. There is an adaptation for voice and piano published in 1960, ''"Haste ye feathered songsters"'', to words by Laurence Swinyard.Laurence Swinyard (1901-1986) was an organist, lyricist (including translations of French, German and Italian lyrics), music editor and writer. He was organist at West Norwood Congregational Church in South London, author of articles on the organ and organ music, and he wrote the Analytical Notes on Elgar's ''

Enigma Variations Edward Elgar composed his ''Variations on an Original Theme'', Op. 36, popularly known as the ''Enigma Variations'', between October 1898 and February 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme. Elgar ...

'' published by Novello's in 1961.

Notes

References

* * * Score, Elgar: Chanson de Matin, Novello & Co., London, 1897, 1899.

External links

* *
Elgar Society website: Chansons de Matin et de Nuit

Performances on video

Gerald Elias and Marjorie Janove
- Violin and Piano
Cuarteto Assai
String Quartet
Robert Finlay
- Piano
Denis Bouriakov and John Reid
- Flute and Piano {{DEFAULTSORT:Chanson De Matin Compositions by Edward Elgar 1889 compositions Compositions for symphony orchestra Chamber music by Edward Elgar Compositions for violin and piano