Movement XIV: “* * *” (Romanza: Moderato)
——————————————
Lady Mary Lygon. This person is not identified by initials, but Mrs. Dora Powell (herself a variation, “Dorabella”) has identified her as Lady Mary Lygon, sister of Lord Beauchamp of Madresfield Court near Malvern. Lady Mary Lygon was a personal friend of Elgar and his wife, promoter of the Madresfield Music Festivals and interested in Elgar’s music. In 1899, when the Variations were being finished, Elgar wrote to Lady Mary Lygon to ask permission to use her initials, but as she and her brother were on the point of leaving for Australia (he had been appointed Governor of New South Wales) and there was not time for a reply Elgar used “***” instead.
Sketches for this variation refer it it as ‘L’ and sketches for the Finale show that Elgar thought of re-introducing ‘L. M. L.’ She became Lady Mary Trefusis when she married Lt.-Col. Henry Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis in 1905.
среда, 20 апреля 2011
contra mundum