The First World War was obviously a difficult time for Elgar. Once again, because health problems (on himself and his wife) also took their toll. In 1916, Elgar wrote to his confidant Alice Stuart-Wortley (nickname 'Windflower'): "All the hope and joy in my life is dead ... it feels like my life is back to square one, like there is nothing between me and disaster." Elgar and his loved ones, however,
… found peace in an isolated cottage in Sussex. Here he completed one of his most famous works, the Cello Concerto. But three ambitious chamber music works were also created here: the Violin Sonata op.82, the String Quartet op.83 and the Piano Quintet op.84. The last two masterpieces mentioned are here on CD. The music will not be very well known. That is also due to the thorough nature of the music, which is quite a challenge for the listener. However, the beautiful Adagio of the Quintet alone makes that challenge more than worth it. The Adagio has a generosity, as we know it from Nimrod (Elgar's most popular melody) from the Enigma Variations. (HJ)more