Serenade for Strings, Op. 20

Sigh. Reaching out, then pulling away. Restraint. Victorian ambivalence about showing emotion. British reserve. All of these considerations find their way into this brief, bewitching, understated serenade where not a note is wasted and we are nearly slayed by its simple, at times aching, intimacy. Elgar wrote the piece in 1892, still not an established composer; it has proved to be one of his most popular works and helped launch his reputation. Unsimplified and uncut; edited with bowings, fingerings, and detailed performance notes by Sandra Dackow.