Description
Edward Elgar wrote Carissima for small orchestra in late 1913. Elgar had just signed a new publishing deal which required new works to be recorded prior to publication so that audiences could become familiar with them before hearing them in the concert hall. Carissima was written specifically to fit onto a single side of a 78 record and it was the first piece of Elgar’s to be recorded.
Although Carissima was officially dedicated to Mrs Jeffrey Stephens (Winifred Stephens, who worked for HMV, the record label) the piece’s name carried a deep, personal significance to Elgar. Not only is the word Carissima very similar to his daughter’s name (Carice) but it also means ‘dearest’ in Italian. This orchestral miniature is salon music at its very best and, although small in scale, it is filled with Elgar’s signature hallmarks: a tender, wistful and nostalgic melody coupled with a distinctively English, pastoral charm.
