Sea Pictures

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Sea Pictures, Op.37 is a song cycle by Sir Edward Elgar consisting of five songs written by various poets.

The songs for contralto and orchestra are:

"Sea Slumber Song" by Roden Noel
"In Haven (Capri)" by Caroline Alice Elgar, the composer's wife
"Sabbath Morning at Sea" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
"Where Corals Lie" by Richard Garnett
"The Swimmer" by Adam Lindsay Gordon

The first performance was in October 1899 at the Norwich Festival with Elgar himself conducting and Clara Butt singing. On 20 October 1899, she performed it for Queen Victoria at Balmoral.

[edit] Recordings

Janet Baker, London Symphony Orchestra, conductor Sir John Barbirolli (1965) is available on many EMI CDs (only some of which include texts), for example Elgar: Cello Concerto; Cockaigne; Sea Pictures, EMI Classics 5 62886 2
Janet Baker, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley London Philharmonic Orchestra plays Elgar LPO - LPO0016-0020 (recorded live 1984)
Muriel Brunskill Elgar's Interpreters on Record Volume 2 - Historic Recordings (also includes recording by Clara Butt) Dutton CDAX8020
Clara Butt, Unidentified Orchestra, Hamilton Harty "Where corals lie" only. Dame Clara Butt (1872 - 1936) Prima Voce NI 7912. (Recording is also on Dame Clara Butt: Britain's Queen of Song GEM 0086)
Elizabeth Campbell, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Braithwaite Elgar: Cello Concerto/Sea Pictures ABC Classics 4767966
Sarah Connolly, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Simon Wright Elgar: Music Makers / Sea Pictures Naxos 8.557710
Margreta Elkins, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Werner Andreas Albert (August 1983) Margreta Elkins – The Classic Recordings ABC 461 922-2
Linda Finnie, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bryden Thomson, (1991). Elgar: Sea Pictures, The Music Makers Chandos Records 9022
Birgit Finnilä, Geoffrey Parsons (piano). Baroque and Romantic Vocal Music BIS-CD-127
Bernadette Greevy, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley Elgar: Symphony No.2 / Sea Pictures Cfp 5753062
Aafje Heynis, "Sea Slumber Song" only. Het Puik van zoete kelen (The Cream of Glorious Voices) Philips Dutch Masters 464 385-2 "Sea Slumber Song" audio sample
Della Jones, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles Mackerras The British Music Collection - Edward Elgar Decca 4732492
Rosemarie Lang, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Hans-Peter Frank c/w Wagner Wesendonck Lieder and Gösta Nystroem Sănger vid havet (Songs at the Sea) Wagner / Nystroem / Elgar: Lieder BIS-CD-530
Leila Megane, Unidentified Orchestra, Edward Elgar (first complete recording made on 11 October 1922, with Elgar conducting) available in The Elgar Edition GEMMCDS 9951–5 (Pavilion Records). Leila Megane Sain SCD2316 includes three songs from Sea Pictures.
Maartje Offers "Where Corals Lie" only. Het Puik van zoete kelen (The Cream of Glorious Voices) Philips Dutch Masters 464 385-2
Felicity Palmer, London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox, Elgar Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op.61; Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op.85; Sea Pictures, Op.37 Virgin 562425 2 / EMI CDM 5 65126 2
Gladys Ripley, London Symphony Orchestra, George Weldon (Summer 1946). The Dream Of Gerontius and Sea Pictures Pearl GEMS 0128 (Original LPs on Capitol P-18017)
Birgitta Svendén, Orchestre philharmonique de Nice, John Carewe, (1991). Grands lieder [Ljudupptagning] Great songs / Mahler, Elgar, Zemlinsky Forlane UCD 16642
Catherine Wyn-Rogers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis. (2003, recorded on 30 July 2003 in the Royal Albert Hall, London, as part of the BBC Proms), CD title is not that clear but the CD includes Walton Coronation Te Deum, Elgar Sea Pictures, Bax November Woods, Britten The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra Warner Classics 2564 61550-2

Audio samples of the performances can often be found at online retailers.

(Note: there is also a distinct work Merikuvia by the Finnish composer Uuno Klami. Merikuvia is usually translated into English as Sea Pictures.)