Elegy

What it means

An elegy is a piece of lament or mourning. The term comes from ancient poetry, where it designated a verse metre, and in music since the nineteenth century designates a character: calm tempo, sustained melody, usually minor, an attitude of remembrance or farewell. There is no fixed form; elegies appear as piano pieces, songs, orchestral movements, or parts of larger works.

Musical use

Typical is a melody in the middle register with broad arcs over an even accompaniment, often with echoes of funeral music — striding rhythm, muted colours, strings with mutes. Many elegies are built in three parts, with a middle section that rebels or turns toward brightness before the opening section returns. The effect rests less on events than on evenness and colour. The elegy differs from the funeral march in its lack of a striding character: it is contemplation, not procession.

As a genre, the elegy comes from ancient poetry. In music it designates a piece of lament, often for solo instrument and piano, such as Fauré's Élégie for cello.

Performance practice

Keep the tempo calm and even; excessive rubato takes the dignity from such pieces. Shape in long arcs and avoid moulding each phrase individually. Watch for even accompaniment figures without accents and for a melody that sounds sustained but not heavy. Use vibrato as a colour and not as a permanent state. Plan the climax exactly, because in a quiet piece it needs little room, and afterwards return audibly to the original attitude.

Bear in mind that such pieces are easily taken too slowly: a tempo that seems appropriate in practice can stall in the concert. Check it in context and do not let the movement break off. With orchestral works, the balance of the muted strings is to be checked, because they easily become too quiet.

Check whether mutes are called for, and plan the moment of putting them on.

Also check whether the title comes from the composer or was added by the publisher.