Edward Elgar

From The Bavarian Highlands

Edward Elgar's work "From the Bavarian Highlands" (Op. 27) is a charming collection of six choral songs composed in 1895. The cycle was inspired by a vacation of the composer and his wife Alice in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Upper Bavaria. Alice Elgar wrote the texts herself as affectionate imitations of Bavarian folk poetry, reflecting the experiences and landscape of the region. The music combines Elgar's characteristic late romantic style with folk rhythms and melodies, giving the work a special freshness and lightness. Originally composed for choir and piano, the later orchestral version emphasizes the pastoral and festive character of this atmospheric homage to the Bavarian Alps.