For as long as classical music has been around, many composers have tried to capture the essence of the sea and the ocean within their work. They often try to embody the calm and tempestuous emotions of the waves and depict the undulating and unpredictability of the bodies of water they are trying to express. And tonight, the ESO will transport you on a voyage across the Seven Seas for an evening of evocative seascapes.
In 1899, when Elgar composed Sea Pictures, the sea was still largely represented as the “Great Unknown”, navigated by frail ships and the desire for more exploration. Elgar’s choice of poems for this work embodies both the fear and fascination of the sea: its beauty, its symbolism, and its dangers.
Inspired by Beethoven’s piece of the same name, Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage is a concert overture depicting two contrasting poems by Goethe, not through the voice, but with instruments. Goethe did not always respond positively to composers who found themselves inspired by his work, but there was an affection between Goethe and Mendelssohn which led to him saying ‘Sail well in your music, and may your voyages ever be as prosperous’.
Britten’s Four Sea Interludes were originally used to facilitate scene changes in his opera Peter Grimes. Through his imaginative orchestration, they not only reinforce the opera’s coastal setting but also remind the listener of the social commentaries and issues the opera explores, and portray the sea as a character in its own right.
Elcock’s Wreck brings to life a ship at sea, battered by the elements, but somehow struggling on. The inevitable “wreck” leads unexpectedly to an off-stage voice, singing a story of salvation beyond despair.