Description
The two "chansons" - the dreamy Chanson de nuit and its cheerful counterpart Chanson de matin - are among Elgar's most popular melodies, much like his Salut d'amour. Sensing the "evergreen" potential of these works, the composer and publisher planned arrangements for various instruments, building on the success of Elgar's earlier piece.
While not all the arrangements came directly from Elgar's pen, the cello version likely did. In a letter to the publisher, Elgar noted that he had written the part in the tenor clef, as "amateurs of small attainments prefer the treble clef." This suggests he consciously tailored the cello arrangement for amateur players. However, this should not deter more advanced and professional cellists from reveling in these charming melodies, as presented in Henle's Urtext edition.
