Posted by o on October 23, 19104 at 16:13:07:

In Reply to: Elgar and British nationalism posted by Christopher Pressler on December 16, 19102 at 11:40:52:

: Hi,
: Just a quick request for comments really. Do people feel that the received wisdom of Elgar as a nostalgic romantic is absolutely correct? His religion was obviously extremely complex and very much against the 'state' religion. Is it possible that his nationalism was also more interesting than currently believed?
: I feel he has the potential to speak on current affairs and that it has only been a kind of kidnapping by 'conservative' listeners that has kept him from receiving wider appeal. For instance, was he really happy that pomp and cirstance turned into what we have today - or is there more irony in Elgar than he's given credit for? What do people think?

to an extent he's been highjacked as a symbol of national identity because everyone knows the pomp and circ. marches and land of hope and glory etc. he was 'master of the king's musik' after all so they're probably quite genuine if you consider prevailing national pride in britain at the time, but after the first war, that music fell out of fashion and he went on to make the concertos and operas that having nothing to do with national pride or jingoism and are also his best works by far.

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