MUS-M565 SEMINAR IN CHORAL LITERATURE | WILBUR LIN

Elgar: The Kingdom, Op. 51

The Kingdom is Elgar’s fourth and final finished oratorio. Finished shortly before the

composer’s fiftieth birthday, it is indeed difficult to imagine that he was only propelled to

international fame 7 years prior. Nowadays, Elgar’s style could easily be associated with British

music and the British-style – however, how Elgar decided to stop composing oratorios had

everything to do with his compositional style being labelled as “un-English” 1 at the time. Elgar’s

hybrid French and Germanic style made him rather unique, compared not only to famous

continental composers of the time, but also composers at home who enjoyed much popularity

compared to Elgar’s, including Hubert Parry and his pupil Vaughan Williams. 2

But Kingdom was actually not as heretical, in the eyes of those who opposes his music, as

the questionable qualities were already comparably toned-down. His earlier oratorios, except his

first try The Light of Life, Op. 29, which is considered as an earlier, not-yet-mature work, are works

heavily influenced by Wager and Berlioz. 3 These earlier works, namely, The Dream of Gerontius,

Op. 38, and The Apostles, Op. 49, are both highly praised by his closest supporters, including critic

Ernest Newman. The Kingdom, was generally well received, with the Telegraph’s music critics

even claiming that this would rank among Bach’s St. Matthew Passion,4 its style was so different

1
Byron Adams, “Elgar's later oratorios: Roman Catholicism, decadence and the Wagnerian dialectic of shame and
grace”, in The Cambridge companion to Elgar, ed. Daniel Grimley and Julian Rushton (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2004), 88.
2
Ibid., 88-89.
3
Peter Dennison, “Elgar’s musical apprenticeship”, in Elgar Studies, ed. Raymond Monk (Aldershot: Scholar Press,
1990), 13 & 32.
4
Adams, “Elgar’s later oratorios”, in Cambridge companion, 100.

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from the previous two that the disappointed Newman urged Elgar not to compose oratorios

anymore that they “won’t lead you anywhere” and should focus on instrumental music instead. 5

Was Newman’s letter to Elgar the sole reason why Elgar stopped short at Kingdom, the

second oratorio of his originally planned trilogy and never got to seriously work on the grand

finale The Last Judgement? While we would never know the answer to this question, this essay

will try to unpack some of the stylistic characteristics of the Kingdom which the Telegraph praised

and Newman loathed, examine how Elgar treated his musical materials, and seek to understand

what makes The Kingdom so different that conductor Adrian Boult claimed “[it] made Dream and

Apostles look like works of an amateur.”

Libretto: GIGANTIC WORX

Elgar visited modern day Germany in 1882 and attended numerous operas by Wagner, 6

he was later encouraged to compose works to the same quality and scale of the Wagnerian

operas for the English audience. The idea of a trilogy, close to the scale of that of Wagner’s Ring

cycle was born, after his 1902 visit to Bayreuth and seen Parsifal and the first three operas in the

Ring cycle. Elgar exclaimed in his letter to Ivo Atkins, “I am now plotting GIGANTIC WORX.” 7

Having Wagner’s operas in his mind as models – Elgar decided to compose his own libretti also,

but with his genre, oratorios, Elgar’s “composition” of the libretti was basically choosing

appropriate Bible verses and weaving them into a coherent work.

5
Ibid., 101.
6
Ibid., 91.
7
Jerrold Moore (ed.), Edward Elgar Letters of a Lifetime (Oxford: Claredon Press, 1990), 114.

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 After Elgar’s Dream was criticized as being too Catholic, Elgar enlisted Anglican canon C.

V. Gorton’s help in setting the text for his trilogy. 8 Main characters are chosen for the works – six

for the Apostles, Mary, Mary Magdalene, John, Peter, Judas, and Jesus, and four of those

remained to the Book of Acts stayed on in The Kingdom – soprano soloist as Mary, mezzo-soprano

as Mary Magdalene, a tenor John, and a bass Peter. What we might notice from this choice of

“principals” (if we are in the opera world) is that all four are essentially on the “same side”. Elgar

scholar Byron Adams believer that Elgar “may have discovered that following the careers of the

apostles after Christ’s Ascension failed to hold his attention”. 9 Scholars and critics seemed to

agree on that fact that The Kingdom lacks drama – and one of the most obvious cause is the lack

of the voice of a direct voice of an antagonist. 10

This, however, does not necessarily mean that Kingdom is an inferior work – but that it

should be understood in a different way. Musicologist Charles McGuire believed that Elgar used

a tableaux system to structure the libretto of The Kingdom, in that movements are separated

into tableaux (see table 1), with each tableau elaborating one idea and/or one character. 11 These

painting-like movements are more “static” than the narrative of an opera or traditional oratorios,

but expresses in a different way.

McGuire also noted that Elgar was more focusing on the developmental progress of the

characters of the leading roles than the general narrative – the tableaux system puts the

8
Ibid., 95.
9
Ibid., 102.
10
Charles McGuire, Elgar’s Oratorios, The creation of an epic narrative (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.), 246.
11
Ibid., 245-246.

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 Mvt. Tableau Episode from the Acts Interpolated Episode

Prelude

1 In the Upper Room

I 2 Choosing of Matthias

(2.5) Chorus: “O ye priests!”

At the Beautiful Gate
II 3
(The Morn of Pentecost)
4 Pentecost
III
5 Sermon (Peter)
The Sign of Healing
6
(At the Beautiful Gate)
IV 7 (The Arrest)

8 Virgin Mary’s Soliloquy

The Upper Room (In
9
Fellowship)
V 10 (Breaking of Bread)

11 (The Prayers)
Table 1 – The structure of Elgar’s Kingdom as separated by tableaux. Redrawn from Charles
McGuire’s Elgar’s Oratorios, p. 248 table 6.1.

characteristics of the numerous soliloquies on the forefront, easily seen and heard by the

audience. 12

Stylistic Characteristics: Thematic Manipulation & Leitmotifs

12
Ibid., 245.

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 Elgar first incorporated a full-blown leitmotif system in his Dream of Gerontius oratorio,

before the trilogy idea was conceived. Indeed, Dream is the most Wagerian and operatic among

all four oratorios, according to McGuire. 13 Elgar later toned-down his Wagnerian qualities

including Germanic late-Romantic chromaticism, which was criticized as un-English, unhealthy,

and too decadent. 14 His leitmotifs are still recognizable and used throughout Apostles and

Kingdom, but they were blended with thematic manipulation complete with idée fixe ala Berlioz,

whom he admired greatly upon attending Crystal Palace concerts given by the French composer

and conductor and hearing Harold en Italie, in Italy.15 16

Elgar’s use of leitmotifs in the Prelude could be seen as a clear example of his departure

from imitating Wagner’s style and incorporating the technique to his own. In the first 2 minutes

of the 9-minute Prelude, Elgar used five leitmotifs/themes (see table 2) from the previous

oratorio, The Apostles, that allowed his audience to reminisce upon what happened previously.

The five leitmotifs led to a long transition at rehearsal 4, which concluded into rehearsal 5, an

augmentation of Peter’s theme. The five appeared in chronological sequence according to Peter’s

personal experience according to the Gospels – the codetta is thus, in a way, letting the audience

know that Peter will be one of the main characters in the coming oratorios. Wagner’s vorspiels

normally introduce his audience to the new plot, Elgar used the same technique but to set the

scene. Like the first movements of a traditional symphony, the introduction normally does not

have anything to do with the materials in the Allegro but sets the scene – Elgar’s prelude is very

13
Ibid., 175.
14
Adams, “Elgar’s later oratorios”, in Cambridge companion, 88.
15
Michael Kennedy, The Life of Elgar (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008), 25.
16
Julian Rushton, “In search of the symphony: orchestral music to 1908”, in The Cambridge companion to Elgar,
ed. Daniel Grimley and Julian Rushton (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), 144.

5
 Reh.
Part Themes Origin (first appeared in)
No.
[0] Gospel / Preachers The Apostles
1 Peter (b. 20) The Apostles
The Apostles – scene of Peter’s
2 Raillery (Questioning)
I denial.
The Apostles – scene after Christ
3 Christ’s Loneliness
was deserted by the disciples.
Codetta – augmented Peter Theme and
5 The Apostles
Preachers Theme
6 New Faith The Kingdom
II “Theme c” (McGuire) – or inversion of
11 The Kingdom
New Faith principal intervals.
Table 2 – Structure of the Prelude. First five themes/leitmotifs originally identified by A. J.
Jaeger.17 Compiled by Charles McGuire in Elgar’s Oratorios, p. 255-256 tables 6.3 & 6.4.

similar. The first part, in this case, recaps five themes from The Apostles, are thematically dense

but short, compared to the length of the second part. The second part is a well-structured three-

part song form, with two themes that culminate in the third part. In the Prelude to The Kingdom,

the “real” prelude, in its traditional sense, that is, hinting the new narrative, starts at part two.

Elgar’s ability to manipulate old themes that had already been heard by the audience and

subtly introduce new themes by modifying or working upon them is particularly notable. The

“theme c” as McGuire labelled it, while being a newly introduced theme, was, in my opinion,

based on the “New Faith” theme. See figures 1 & 2, the Db, F, Ab, C, Eb, Gb sequence used in the

principal notes of the “New Faith” theme is strikingly similar to the inverted C, Ab, F, E, Bb, G

sequence in the melody of “theme c”.

August Jaeger, The Kingdom: an oratorio by Edward Elgar (Op.51): analytical and descriptive notes, (London:
17

Novello & Co, 1950).

6
 Figure 1 – The principal notes of “New Faith” theme.

Figure 2 – The melody of “theme c”.

A number of similar brilliant treatments of his materials can be demonstrated upon close

examination of Part I of the oratorio. But first, let us look at how Elgar connected the Prelude to

the first number of the oratorio. The prelude of The Kingdom started in Eb major, ended in C

major and led directly into the opening C major chorale, sung by the chorus of disciples. For

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someone like Elgar who knew Wagner’s music well – one cannot imagine that it is by mere

coincident that the opening remarkably resembles that of Wagner’s Meistersinger, in which, the

C major vorspiel deviated into Eb major, modulates back to C major, and attacca into the C major

chorale sung by the Nürnberger people. Even the contour of the melody and the notes used for

the first five pitches are inversions of each other (see figure 3). The similarity is more intriguing

especially considering that Elgar was a cryptographer who could not have possibly overlooked

this – even if he had not composed this on purpose as a tribute to Wagner.

Figure 3 – The comparison of soprano melodies of Elgar and Wagner’s chorale.

Apart from closely resembling Wagner’s melody, the opening Choir Theme could be

understood as the combination of two materials used in the prelude – the fourth-degree interval

from the gospel theme, and the 3-note stepwise scale that was used in the triplets of the

preacher’s theme. See figure 4: the fourth interval was seen in the leap from “seek first”, and

Figure 4 – Two materials forming the Choir Theme.

filled-in with a downward scale back to “God”. The “God, and His” used the stepwise 3-note scale,

and a similar fourth-degree material was used again, elided from “His” to the next few notes.

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 Right after rehearsal number 17, the orchestra recapped a diminution version of the

gospel theme from the Prelude, that leads the choir back to a first inversion “Peace” chord in C

major. With the rest following the word, the phrase is cut in half, but the choir theme could still

be recognized when the chorus moves on to finish the phrase “peace be unto thee”.

At rehearsal 18, Elgar introduced a countermelody to accompany the cadential figures in

the choral parts – but with Elgar’s masterful manipulation of the musical motifs, the yearning

AGG notes (first 3 beats of rehearsal 18 bar 1), the FACCDC (starting the 4th beat of rehearsal 18

bar 2), and the embellished choir theme (starting the 4th beat of rehearsal 18 bar 3), all became

important thematic materials in Part I of the oratorio. Figure 5 shows a few examples of how the

FACCDC material was used, either in its entirety or partially, in this movement. 5.1 shows a

Figure 5.1 Figure 5.2

Figure 5.3 Figure 5.4

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complete reuse of the materials, 5.2 shows the F, A, and C notes separated between the choir

altos and sopranos, using the staggered entrance to allow the F major arpeggio to be heard, 5.3

shows the same three notes hidden in Mary Magdalene’s solo line, and 5.4 shows the whole

theme in its entirety, reintroduced in Eb major.

These are just a few examples of how Elgar treated the thematic materials and made the

whole 100-minute-long oratorio thematically coherent and stylistically unified.

Elgar not only treated musical materials with extra care, he also used his thematic

manipulation, orchestration, and choral voicing as rhetorical devices. At the Quasi Allegretto

three bars before rehearsal 21, Elgar introduced a D minor snippet

lying on top of the slow-moving bass notes (which were taken from

the bass lines of “theme c” in the prelude”). These notes reoccurred Figure 6 – D minor melody

every few bars and modulated to a number of different keys –

although this melody does not interact directly with the voices but was merely an

accompaniment figure until 27, the listener would have easily recognized this motif due to the

repetition. Interestingly, the ever-recurring motif eventually became the main material of the

text “he remembered” at bar 3 of rehearsal 27 – the motif that is most probably “remembered”

by the listener at this moment, serves as the melody carrying the words of “he remembered”.

Another example of Elgar’s ingenious setting could be seen at rehearsal 31, the first

unison passage sung by the choir and the soloists. It is not only musically beautiful and satisfying

as this short number concludes in unison, it also serves a rhetorical function. After this unison

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passage, a few cadential chords and two “amen”s, Peter starts speaking at rehearsal 35. Elgar

was obviously looking at Acts 1 as he started this tableau.

14
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and

Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. 15 And in those days Peter stood up in

the midst of the disciples, and said, 16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have

been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas,

which was guide to them that took Jesus. (Acts 1:14-16, KJV)

Notice that Elgar quoted Acts 1:16 as Peter’s speech – the verse before described how

“Peter stood up”, which could be easily demonstrated in the soloist’s standing up in a concert,

and if we look further back, verse 14 illustrates how those who are gathering “continued with

one accord”. The “one accord” is achieved musically but Elgar’s unison setting.

Among all the examples of Elgar’s treatment of materials, traditional leitmotifs are still

present, though not nearly as pronounced as those in Dream or even Apostles. Priority, at least

in this piece, was still given to the characters that matter the most, namely, the Holy Trinity. The

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all receives their individual motifs – though they do not come very

often, as this oratorio focused on humans, and the development of human characters. See figure

6 for Jesus’s leitmotif.

Elgar’s Style: The Fundamentally Un-Englishness That Became Englishness

It is incredibly interesting to put these findings in the historical context – those who prefer

Elgar’s Dream to the Kingdom liked his Wagnerian style best, and cannot stand his “Anglicized”

11
 Figure 7 – Leitmotif of Jesus.

later style, while those who praised Kingdom were among those who criticized Elgar being un-

English, either by being too sympathetic to the French decadents, too Germanically chromatic,

or simply too Catholic. To the contemporary Classical Music listener, who would have thought

that one of the most recognizable and representable British composer, could be criticized as un-

English?

By examining the materials, we do find that Elgar was indeed carrying a hybrid style of

French and German composers – it is perhaps suitable to use music critic Richard Cox’s slightly

over-Romanticized words to sum this up as he answers his own question of whether Elgar’s style

is essentially British.

Cox found the answer in Elgar's own personality, which “could use the alien idioms in such

a way as to make of them a vital form of expression that was his and his alone. And the personality

that comes through in the music is English.” 18

18
David Cox, "Edward Elgar", in The Symphony: Elgar to the Present Day, ed. Robert Simpson (Harmondsworth:
Pelican Books, 1967), 15-16.

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Bibliography
Adams, Byron. “Elgar's later oratorios: Roman Catholicism, decadence and the Wagnerian
dialectic of shame and grace.” In The Cambridge companion to Elgar, edited by Daniel Grimley
and Julian Rushton. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Cox, David. "Edward Elgar" In The Symphony: Elgar to the Present Day, edited by Robert
Simpson. Harmondsworth: Pelican Books, 1967.
Jaeger, August. The Kingdom: an oratorio by Edward Elgar (Op.51): analytical and descriptive
notes. London, UK: Novello & Co, 1950.
Kennedy, Michael. The life of Elgar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Kennedy, Michael. Elgar orchestral music. London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1977.

Monk, Ray. Elgar studies. Hants, UK: Scholar Press, 2009.

McGuire, Charles Edward. Elgar's Oratorios: The Creation of an Epic Narrative. Aldershot, UK:
Ashgate Press, 2002.
Rushton, Julian, “In search of the symphony: orchestral music to 1908.” In The Cambridge
companion to Elgar, edited by Daniel Grimley and Julian Rushton. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2004.

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