Born in 1857 near Worcester, the son of a piano tuner who ran a music shop, Edward Elgar taught himself music almost alone, played the violin and the organ and gave lessons. In 1888 he gave Salut d'amour to Caroline Alice Roberts for their engagement. Fame came late, past forty, with the Enigma Variations (1899), then The Dream of Gerontius and the Pomp and Circumstance marches. He also wrote two symphonies and a cello concerto. He died in Worcester in 1934.
The catalogue presents Salut d'amour in the solo piano version published by Schott, in B flat, and Nimrod, the ninth of the Enigma Variations, in Elgar's own version for the piano. The right hand sings above off-beat chords: keep the left hand light and let the melody breathe at the end of each phrase, as a singer would.
