In Moonlight
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/In_Moonlight_song_by_Elgar_cover_1902.jpg/220px-In_Moonlight_song_by_Elgar_cover_1902.jpg)
"In Moonlight" is a song with music written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1904 to words from the poem "An Ariette for Music. To a Lady singing to her Accompaniment on the Guitar", by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) and published in 1832.
The song is adapted to a central section of Elgar's concert-overture "In the South (Alassio)" where the "Canto Popolare"[1] melody is introduced by a solo viola with a delicate and imaginative accompaniment, which could be likened to Shelley's "...accompaniment on the Guitar."
The first performance of "In the South" was in March 1904. In July that year Elgar made different versions of the "Canto Popolare" section. These were variously for small orchestra, for piano and for various instrumental combinations.
In August 1905 the song was reviewed in the London "Times":
- "Sir Edward Elgar is paying one of the penalties of popularity, and the adaptation of a theme from his overture "In the South" to Shelley's words beginning "As the moon's soft splendour" will very likely attain the success which the publishers, Messrs. Novello & Co., appear to anticipate, as they issue it in several keys. The words, as might be expected, have to suffer a good deal of rhythmic modification in order to fit the "canto popolare", but this is hardly likely to stand in the way of the song's success".[2]
The same poem was set by many others including the American composer Amy Beach ("Mrs. H. H. A. Beach"), as her Op. 1 No. 4, with the title "Ariette".
Lyrics
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/38px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png)
Elgar used only the first and third stanzas of Shelley's poem, "An Ariette for Music".
IN MOONLIGHT (ARIETTE)
Recordings
- "The Unknown Elgar" includes "In Moonlight" performed by Teresa Cahill (soprano), with Barry Collett (piano).
- Elgar: Complete Songs for Voice & Piano Amanda Roocroft (soprano), Reinild Mees (piano)
- Songs and Piano Music by Edward Elgar has "In Moonlight" performed by Amanda Pitt (soprano), with David Owen Norris (piano).
- The Songs of Edward Elgar SOMM CD 220 Catherine Wyn-Rogers (soprano) with Malcolm Martineau (piano), at Southlands College, London, April 1999
Videos
- "In Moonlight" on YouTube (sound only) - Felicity Lott (soprano) with Graham Johnson (piano) 2008
Notes
References
- Banfield, Stephen, Sensibility and English Song: Critical studies of the early 20th century (Cambridge University Press, 1985) ISBN 0-521-37944-X
- Kennedy, Michael, Portrait of Elgar (Oxford University Press, 1968) ISBN 0-19-315414-5
- Young, Percy M., Elgar O.M. (Collins, 1955)
External links
- In Moonlight: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- v
- t
- e
- 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