Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Throughout his career, Elgar sought confidants in the publishing world, and when he found someone to whom he could open his heart, the letters that followed were among the most arresting ever written on the creative life. In this comprehensive collection, Jerrold Northrop Moore has gathered every letter of importance between Elgar and his publishers, including for the first time the correspondence between Elgar and his finest friend, the publishing manager of Novello, A.J. Jaeger--"Nimrod" of the "Enigma" Variations--as well as the letters Elgar wrote to Alfred Littleton, the chairman of Novello, to Keith Prowse, his final publisher, and to many others. These letters reach far back into the creative process, often to the formation of ideas and projects, providing a rare record of the vital relationship between a composer and his publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

The lively documents collected here are more than business letters. Elgar writes candidly and with fine literary flourish, not only of the British musical scene and his public role in it, but of his inner creative struggles and drastically shifting moods. What emerges is a fascinating, often contradictory portrait of a complicated personality, an artist of vision and integrity, but neurotically insecure and seemingly at odds with the confident sweep of so much of his finest music. Apart from soul-searching, Elgar reveals himself as an enthusiastic word player and punster, often employing his whimsical humor to mock himself and his acute sensibilities. An unexpected delight are the line drawings and sketches he often added, which provide gently witty commentary and are oddly reminiscent of James Thurber. Moore's edition is exemplary, with full annotations and very complete indexing. He provides a helpful, concise narrative thread between the letters, putting them in context without ever upstaging them. Moore's Edward Elgar: A Creative Life (CH, Apr '85) is the single indispensable book on Elgar's career and music. These volumes form an important supplement, laden with new information and unexpected insights into this singular composer, and absorbing to read in their own right. Upper-division and graduate students, and general readers.-C. Isaac, Austin College