Elgar in Manuscript

Edward Elgar's surviving manuscripts, whether full scores, musical sketches, letters or notebooks, are important sources for our knowledge of his working methods and his complex character. Here the author examines the manuscript evidence, from some of Elgar's earliest exercises to the supreme achievements of the Enigma Variations and Cello Concerto, and discusses the insights it provides into the development of the composer's works, his ideas, influences and ambitions.