Salut d’amour Op. 12

Edward Elgar · Level 4 (Intermediate) · Romantic · Piano

Written in 1888 as an engagement present for Caroline Alice Roberts, his future wife: a tender, simple melody, now one of the most played salon pieces. A piece by Edward Elgar, the great English composer of the late 19th century. E major, 2/4, 100 bars (about 3 minutes), complete score.

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• The melody sings above a light chordal accompaniment; a discreet rubato at the ends of phrases, and plenty of tenderness. Key signature with 4 sharps: name them aloud before playing and spot the places where accidentals cancel them. One hand sometimes plays two voices: hold the long notes for their full value and let the main line sing louder than the accompaniment. The left hand makes wide leaps: look at the landing note in advance and move early, without rushing the rhythm.

More pieces by Edward Elgar

• Nimrod (Enigma Variations, No. 9), piano arrangement

Source : PDMX / MuseScore · CC0 1.0