Elgar: Wand of Youth Suite No.1 Op.1a IV.Sun Dance - wind quintet

The Wand of Youth Suites No. 1 and No. 2 are works for orchestra by Edward Elgar, first performed in 1907 and 1908 respectively. The titles Elgar gave them were, in full: The Wand of Youth (Music to a Child's Play) First Suite, Op. 1a (1869–1907) and Second Suite, (Op. 1b).

The music was drawn from material written by the composer in his youth and orchestrated forty years or so later.

This is mvt IV from the first suite " Sun Dance"

The movement is in C major, in presto 3/4 time.

The music dates from 1878.

The order of the music in the two suites does not follow that of the action in the unstaged play. The Sun Dance depicts the two old people (the parents) being awakened (by glittering lights flashed in their eyes by means of hand-mirrors) from the sleep into which they have been charmed in the Slumber Scene, which in the suite follows two movements later.

Kennedy compares it with the "Dorabella" section of the Enigma Variations: "stylish and fluent woodwind writing". It has a central waltz section and virtuoso music for the harp towards the end.

Elgar reused this movement for his later score for The Starlight Express.

Arranged wind quintet

Clarinet part is for Clarinet in A

preview is an mp3