As
an introduction to Elgar’s Enigma
Variations, this documentary may
well satisfy the newcomer - most probably
the young newcomer - to the work,
and even to the music of Elgar, but
to the committed Elgar-lover it leaves
a lot to be desired.
The
documentary, which includes scenes
borrowed from Ken Russell’s classic
BBC Monitor film Elgar,
plus footage of Elgar at his Marl
Bank home and at the Three Choirs
Festivals (all available on a marvellous
bfi [British Film Institute] DVD BIFVD524)
seems to be unashamedly aimed at a
populist market with early scenes
shot at the last night of the Proms
with banners and flags waving aloft
to strains of Land of Hope and
Glory . Andrew Davis waxes eloquently
enough in his narration, quite rightly
proclaiming that the music of Elgar
“… somehow sums up our national psyche
…” and offering a mostly entertaining
and informative analysis of the Variations.
But the weakness of his script shows
through such gaffes as claiming that
the work was written in Worcester
when the Elgars were living in Malvern
at the time, and it is superficial
to claim that the ‘Romanza’ Variation
XIII (***) is full of warmth. The
outer sections maybe but the inner
music speaks of deep, deep despair
as it suggests someone very dear to
the composer (his fiancé, Helen Weaver)
sailing out of his life for ever.
[This tragedy was to affect the composer’s
music throughout his life. For more
information on this matter, I recommend
the thought-provoking essay Edward
Elgar: Music and Literature’ by Brian
Trowell in Edward Elgar Music and
Literature Edited by Raymond
Monk, Scolar Press].
But
the most distasteful and crass elements
of this documentary are the visuals;
the golf imagery in connection with
RBT Variation III is laboured, the
imagery of a man waking up late and
having to rush for a train is quite
inane and out of keeping with the
essential character of ‘Troyte’ and
as for the modern ‘with-it’ imagery
of a quartet of coloured people on
roller skates illustrating the grace
of the ‘Dorabella’ Variation, this
is surely taking political correctness
too far? Worse still is the inept
imagery for the Helen Weaver tragedy
behind the ‘Romanza’ Variation, reducing
her flight from Elgar to New Zealand
to the ridiculous depiction of a pretty
girl in modern evening dress disappearing
up the Thames on what looks like a
tiny tug boat as a young man looks
despairingly down at her from one
of London’s bridges. Who on earth
thinks up such inanities?
Better
to ignore the documentary and enjoy
Davis’s
sensitive and robust reading of Elgar’s
Enigma Variations performed
in Worcester Cathedral. The ‘Nimrod’
Variation, for instance, is noble
if a touch slow and deliberate, the
‘Dorabella’ Variation dances delightfully
and the final E.D.U. Variation (Elgar
himself) is full of confidence and
swagger. The booklet that comes with
the DVD has helpful notes on the personalities
of each variation and there are pictures
of them all except Helen Weaver and
Lady Mary Lygon who have both been
associated with that ‘Romanza’ (***)
Variation.
Enjoy
Davis’s Worcester
Cathedral performance of the Enigma
Variations. Approach the dumbed-down,
politically-correct documentary with
caution – distasteful and crass imagery
abounds.
Ian
Lace
