Cello Songs After the War in Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
I. Adagio – Moderato
Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
I'm Elgar, and I'm glad to be the one explaining the first movement of my Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, the Adagio – Moderato. In about 8 minutes you'll hear the solo cello pass from a slow, serious introduction into a gently moving tune, and you'll find a plain, balanced shape in it that is easy to follow. Here on the site my fellow composers and I also teach you to recognize our pieces when they play, so why not test yourself in the Trainer when you're ready?
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Four Ears and One Big Cello
I'd like you to keep your attention on the solo cello, because it's the voice that carries this movement from the first note to the last. Around it the orchestra offers strings, woodwinds, brass and timpani, and they mostly play the part of a hushed, attentive audience that never talks over the soloist. Listen for the moments when the whole orchestra swells and the cello answers, as if the two were having a long, serious conversation. You don't need to know a single musical term, because the movement lasts only about 8 minutes and says what it has to say plainly.What's in a Name, Besides Two Italian Words
I called the movement Adagio – Moderato because those words tell the performers, and you, how the music should move. Adagio means slow and unhurried, and Moderato means a moderate, walking pace, so the title is really a small map of the journey. I wanted the opening to feel spacious and grave, and then the music to find a steadier stride without ever turning cheerful. The title is short, but it gives you the most important instruction before a note has sounded.Choosing a Shape Without Losing Sleep
Choosing the form for this movement took some thought, and I settled on a ternary shape with an introduction. That means it's not a sonata and it's not a rondo, but a simple pattern in which a first part gives way to a contrasting middle and then the opening ideas come home again. So the movement has four parts: the introduction, the first main part, the contrasting middle and the return. I'll take you through them one at a time, and once you know the pattern you'll find it easy to follow by ear.Section 1: The Cello Clears Its Throat
The introduction is marked Adagio, and it's slow enough that you can feel each note settle before the next one arrives. The solo cello speaks first and alone, in a serious and almost declamatory way, as though it's announcing what kind of music this will be. There's no rush and no decoration, only a dark, weighty mood that asks you to listen closely. Everything that follows grows out of this opening, so it's worth giving it your full attention.Section 2: A Long Tune in a Dark Coat
Now the tempo changes to Moderato, and the music begins to walk at a steady, moderate pace in E minor. Here you'll hear the first main theme, a long melody that rises and falls and seems to carry some quiet sadness with it. The cello takes up this melody with the orchestra, and the two share it with a gentle, flowing warmth. Don't wait for a big dramatic turn, because the feeling here is reflective and inward, more a sigh than a shout.Section 3: A Window Opens a Crack
The middle part brings contrast, and the mood loosens a little after the earnest melody that came before. The cello sounds a bit more restless and searching here, and the orchestra gives it more to respond to. It isn't a happy escape, but it does feel like a change of light, as if someone has opened a window in a dim room. Notice how the music seems to look for something and never quite finds it, which is exactly why the next part is so welcome.Section 4: Back to the Familiar Armchair
In the return, the ideas from the beginning come back, and the music settles into the mood where it started. You may feel that you've heard these themes before, and you have, but they now carry the weight of everything that happened in between. That's the real pleasure of a ternary shape, because coming home feels different once you've been away. The movement closes quietly rather than grandly, leaving you with a calm and thoughtful feeling.Over to You and the Play Button
Now it's your turn to hear it for yourself, so press play and let the music carry you along. While you listen, keep in mind what we've talked about: the solo cello, the slow opening, the long melody and the way the opening ideas return. You don't have to catch every detail, because simply following the cello's voice is enough. I hope you find the journey through this movement as moving as I did when I wrote it.---
Did you enjoy learning about the first movement of my Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, the Adagio – Moderato? I hope it gave you a few things to listen for the next time the cello begins alone. A movement of about 8 minutes can hold a good deal of feeling, and I'm always pleased when someone takes the time to sit with it. There is still plenty more to explore in my Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85. Three more movements are waiting, and each one shows a different side of the cello. If you'd like to go further, please click on the links provided and keep exploring the concerto. I hope that the next time you hear it, the music feels a little like an old friend.