Edward Elgar
[1857~1934]
Polonia. A Symphonic Prelude (1915)
In April 1915 the Polish conductor Emil Mlynarski asked Elgar to compose something for
a concert he was organizing with Thomas Beecham to help Polish refugees. Elgar dedicated
the work to his friend Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the great pianist and later Prime Minister of Poland.
'Polonia' was written for a concert in 1915 in aid of the Polish Victims' Relief Fund. Here Elgar uses Polish themes, with a national song, after the introduction, a hymn associated with the revolt in 1863. Later themes include Chopin's 'Nocturne No. 11' in G minor and a melody from Paderewski's 'Polish Fantasia'. A further national Polish melody is used in the last section, presented with a required patriotic enthusiasm. The work was dedicated to Paderewski and described by Elgar as a symphonic prelude.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
James Judd