In the South, “Alassio,” Op. 50

Composer: ELGAR, Sir Edward
  • In the South, “Alassio” is a concert overture inspired by a recent trip that Elgar and his family took to the Italian Riviera in January 1904.
    • Alassio is a city on the coast of northern Italy, where Elgar visited with his family.
  • Elgar dedicated the work to Leo Schuster, who was a patron and supporter of the composer.1
  • Musically, In the South is a complex and varied piece of music, consisting of many mood shifts reminiscent of the symphonic works of Richard Strauss and Mahler.2
  • Elgar included poetry quotes in his score to further illustrate his musical depiction of the Italian seaside, including Tennyson’s The Daisy and Lord Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (Canto IV, verse XXV).3  

Sources

  1. “In the South, Op.50 (Elgar, Edward),” IMSLP, accessed March 18, 2025, https://imslp.org/wiki/In_the_South,_Op.50_(Elgar,_Edward).
  2. John Pickard, Notes in accompanying booklet, Elgar: Enigma Variations, In the South & Serenade for strings performed by Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, Signum Classica 168, 2009, compact disc.
  3. Maureen Buja, “Music in the Very Air: Edward Elgar’s In the South and In Moonlight,” Interlude (2024), accessed March 18, 2025, https://interlude.hk/music-in-the-very-air-edward-elgars-in-the-south-and-in-moonlight/.

Cut IDs

12449 41755 18413