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A number of full length biographies of Elgar have been published. The
following are the main and more readily accessible biographies. Those marked
with an asterisk (*) can be purchased from the
Elgar Birthplace Museum Shop.
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Robert ANDERSON : Elgar in Manuscript (British Library,
1990). A comprehensive and fascinating review of the material, including an
Appendix giving its whereabouts.
* Robert ANDERSON : Elgar in the 'Master Musicians' series
(Dent, 1993). The third and latest 'Master Musicians' Elgar (after Reed (1939)
and Parrott (1971)). Very thorough account of his life and works, making use of
most recent discoveries, etc.
E Wulstan ATKINS : The Elgar-Atkins Friendship (David
& Charles, 1984). A full and very interesting
account, mainly through their letters, of the friendship between Elgar and Ivor
Atkins, who was Organist at Worcester Cathedral from 1897 to 1950.
Michael KENNEDY : Portrait of Elgar (3rd edn, OUP, 1987).
An outstanding book which truly justifies its title. Very readable.
* Michael KENNEDY : The Life of Elgar (CUP, 2004).
A further outstanding book which concentrates on Elgar the person.
* Raymond MONK (ed) : Elgar Studies (Scolar, 1990; reissued by Ashgate).
A symposium of articles on Elgar by Ian Parrott, Michael Pope, Percy Young,
Michael Kennedy and Diana McVeagh (among others). For those who want to travel
deeper into Elgar.
Raymond MONK (ed) : Edward Elgar : Music and Literature
(Scolar, 1993; resissued by Ashgate). A second symposium, every bit as interesting as the first,
and containing as its centrepiece a 140-page examination, by Professor Brian
Trowell, of the literary sources used by Elgar in connection with his works.
* Jerrold Northrop MOORE : Edward Elgar : a Creative Life (OUP,
1984). The major oevre of the foremost Elgar scholar; nearly 900
pages. Reissued in 2000. Essential reading.
Jerrold Northrop MOORE : Elgar and his Publishers : Letters of
a Creative Life (2 vols, OUP, 1987). Correspondence between Elgar and his
publishers, especially Novello. The full extant correspondence with Jaeger is
all here.
Jerrold Northrop MOORE : Edward Elgar : The Windflower Letters
(Clarendon, 1989). Elgar's correspondence with Alice Stuart-Wortley (mostly
his, as hers seems to have been largely destroyed), a close friend and artistic
inspiration of the composer.
Jerrold Northrop MOORE : Edward Elgar : Letters of a Lifetime
(Clarendon, 1990). A compilation of letters covering his whole life and
interests. Updates Percy Young's Letters of Edward Elgar of 1956.
Fascinating, essential reading.
* Simon MUNDY : Elgar : His Life and Times (Omnibus, 2nd. Edition 2001).
A popular but well-written account by a musical journalist. An excellent
introduction for those who know nothing about Elgar, and it won't hurt the
pocket too much!
Mrs Richard POWELL : Edward Elgar : Memories of a Variation
(4th edn, Scolar, 1994, reissued by Ashgate). Mrs Powell was Dora Penny (the ' Dorabella' of the
Enigma Variations), and a close friend of the Elgars. As the title
suggests, a personal account, written several years after the events described.
A few errors have been corrected by Dr Moore in a helpful Appendix.
In addition :
The Elgar Society Journal, published three
times a year and
distributed free of charge to Elgar Society
members, contains original articles covering all aspects of Elgar's life and
works, as well as letters, book, record and concert reviews, notes and jottings
and a diary of Elgar concerts.
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