Music with Ease > Classical Music > Concert Guide: Turn of the 20th Century > Concert Overture, "Froissart". Op. 19. - Elgar

The "Froissart" Overture was one of Elgar's earlier works. Its motto, "When Chivalry lifted up her lance on high," is from one of Keats' poems, and indicates the general character of the music. The overture opens with a vigorous martial introduction, after which a stately first theme is given out pianissimo. Its development with new subsidiary material is very effective, and leads finally to the reappearance of the theme fortissimo. As this part of the movement dies away, the second theme, with a counter-theme in solo clarinet and first violins, appears, the former being most conspicuous in the development, at the close of which the first theme is again heard. In the closing section the second theme and its counter theme appear, but this time the latter is given to the clarinets, the elaboration of which brings the overture to a fine concluding climax.