Une voix dans le désert

”Une voix dans le désert" "("A Voice in the Desert")" is a recitation, with a soprano soloist and orchestra, written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1915 as his Op. 77. The words are by the Belgian poet Émile Cammaerts"'.

It was first produced at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, on January 29th, 1916, with the recitation by the Belgian dramatic performer Carlo Liten, [Carlo Liten was born in 1879 in Antwerp, Belgium of a Belgian father and Italian mother. He was a distinguished theatre actor and reciter, at the time well-known in Europe and America. He performed in Elgar's "Carillon", "Le drapeau belge" and "Une voix dans le désert". After World War I he acted in three films "The Strongest" (1920), "L'Affaire du train" (1921) and "Les Mystères de Paris" (1922). It was said of him by John Palmer (assistant editor of the London "Saturday Review") that Liten "had the most wonderful voice in the memory of any living person ... for resonance, servicableness and charm the most remarkable I have ever heard from any actor. Add to this mastery of gesture and expression dictated by a refined intelligence and we get a rare personality." ] the soprano Olga Lynn [Olga Lynn (1882-1961) was a famous singing teacher associated with Covent Garden Opera House. Her autobiography is "Oggie, The Memoirs of Olga Lynn", pub. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1955.] , and the orchestra conducted by the composer.

The words were translated into English by Cammaerts' wife, Tita Brand.

The work was published as a piano reduction (the vocal parts with piano accompaniment) by Elkin & Co. in 1916.

ynopsis

The reality was horrific. In August 1915 Belgium had been invaded by the German army: the big cities has been destroyed, the carnage on both sides was incalculable and King Albert and his army were driven to the banks of the river Yser in West Flanders.

"The Pall Mall Gazette" [The Pall Mall Gazette, January 31st 1916] in review of "Une voix dans le désert" described the scene on stage:

Lyrics

Recordings

* [http://www.geocities.com/hansenk69/new7.html Rarely Heard Elgar & Forgotten War Music] Munich Symphony Orchestra with Douglas Bostock, on ClassicO label.

* [http://www.elgarfoundation.org/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_CD0494&url=http://www.elgarfoundation.org/trolleyed/2/12/40/index.htm Elgar: War Music] Richard Pascoe (narrator), Teresa Cahill (soprano), Barry Collett (conductor), Rutland Sinfonia

References

*Kennedy, Michael, "Portrait of Elgar" (Oxford University Press, 1968) ISBN 0193154145
*Moore, Jerrold N. “Edward Elgar: a creative life” (Oxford University Press, 1984) ISBN 0193154471

Notes