| Description | Letters from Edward Elgar to relating, amongst other items of business, to his choral ode, 'The Music Makers', written for contralto, chorus and orchestra and based on a poem by Arthur O'Shaughnessy in 1912. All letters are written from his London address at Severn House, 42 Netherhall Gardens, Hampstead and all have been annotated, presumably by Clayton, on receipt at Novellos. The letters refer to a German translation of the work which, for commercial reasons, the publishers were not keen to commission this unless [Fritz] Steinbach agreed to conduct the work
In the earliest letter, dated 29 October 1912, he writes that 'Steinbach says this is just the thing for the Lower Rhine Festival...this year in May or June' which would need a German translation but he continues by saying that 'I do not press this - my ambition has been dead for years & it seems that all the honour & glory is only an infernal expense.'
The next letter, dated 27 May 1912, starts with a request for Professor [Julius] Buths [Director of the North Rhein Festival] to be sent a copy of 'The Music Makers'. He continues with reference to Steinbach 'who says he is going to do the Ode' and asks if he has written to Clayton about a translation.
The final letter, dated 7 July 1913, appears to respond to a request to have the 'score of the Anthem [Psalm 48] by the second week of September'. He continues with further discussion of the translation of 'The Music Makers': Steinbach (in the Spring) said he wd do it at an early concert (presumably Gurnzenich) next autumn' and asks Clayton to write to him. |