''Chanson de Nuit'', Op. 15, No. 1, 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 1897, though it is considered that it was almost certainly written in 1889 or 1890. It has invited comparison with, and has been said to be a finer work than its more popular "companion" piece, '' Chanson de Matin'', Op. 15, No. 2. The orchestral version of the work was published in 1899, and first performed, together with ''Chanson de Matin'', 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. The work was dedicated to F. Ehrke, M.D.Dr. Frank Ehrke of the Manor House, Kempsey was 1st violin in the Worcestershire Philharmonic Society Orchestra

Structure

Andante, 4/4,

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' A performance will take around three and a half minutes.

Instrumentation

Elgar scored ''Chanson de Nuit'' (and ''Chanson de Matin'') 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 form (Violin & Piano) and the composer's orchestral version. Other noteworthy arrangements are 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, 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 (both by the composer), and for organ by his friend A. Herbert Brewer.

Notable performances

In 1976 Dominique Bagouet had his first great success with his performance of Chanson de Nuit, winning the Concours de Bagnolet.

Performances on video

Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra (amateur) cond. Gregg Martin
- Orchestra

Notes

References

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

External links

* *

{{Authority control Compositions by Edward Elgar 1889 compositions Compositions for symphony orchestra Chamber music by Edward Elgar Compositions for violin and piano