Composed by Elgar in 1884, when he was 27 years old. At that time, Elgar was undergoing a period of apprenticeship before achieving success as a composer with works such as "Enigma Variations" and "Pomp and Circumstance." He supported himself by teaching piano and violin, while also assisting at his parents' shop, which dealt in musical instruments and scores.

The title "Grifinesque" means "like a griffin." A "griffin" is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, appearing in many ancient stories, including Greek mythology. The piece was named after Elgar's piano student, Frank Griffin, playing on his surname.

As evidenced by the nicknames like "Nimrod" and "Dorabella" in "Enigma Variations," which are playful allusions to his friends and acquaintances, Elgar seems to have enjoyed wordplay. Let's delve deeper into the piece.

About the Piece

Allegro, Sehr lebhaft, 3/8 time, G major. A small, charming piece of 24 measures in total, structured in A-B-A' ternary form. As it was written for a piano student's lesson, the content is relatively easy to play.

The purpose of the exercise and the techniques to be acquired are clearly indicated in the score: the right hand features arpeggiated chords with leaps of a sixth or fifth, while the left hand presents challenges such as leaps of a tenth or more, spanning over an octave.

Elgar's delicate consideration for his students is evident in the score, such as the addition of the German musical term "Sehr lebhaft" (very lively) next to the Italian tempo marking, showing his aim to foster musical literacy in addition to improving piano technique, and the further inscription of "legato" below the slurs. This reveals Elgar's gentle and caring side as a piano teacher who thought deeply of his students.

Section A begins in G major, followed by section B from measure 9, which undergoes subtle modulations to B minor and F-sharp minor, before the A theme is restated forte. The piece then gradually diminuendos, ending quietly.

To perform this piece, both the right and left hands require leaps at a fast tempo, which would likely have presented a higher difficulty for piano beginners. Nevertheless, the way both hands sweep across the piano keys, as the title suggests, is "like a griffin" flapping its wings and flying. Thus, the piece is not merely an etude for acquiring technique but also a piano work that is enjoyable to play as music.

Elgar's Piano Works

Elgar is said to have been reluctant to compose piano pieces. Indeed, Elgar's piano works are concentrated in two periods: his early years, when he wrote pieces like "Salut d'Amour," "Rosemary," "Grifinesque," and "Sonatina" for his piano students, and his later years, after the death of his beloved wife Alice, when he lost his creative drive. During his peak period from the late 1890s to 1920, while composing major works such as "Enigma Variations," "Pomp and Circumstance," and the oratorios "The Apostles" and "The Kingdom," he only composed a few smaller pieces like "Moorish Serenade," "Contrasts," "May Song," and "In Smyrna."

The reasons for this include:

• Elgar's true talent as a composer was better expressed in larger-scale works such as orchestral and choral pieces rather than piano music.
• The great popularity of large-scale choral music, such as oratorios, in 19th-century Britain (the popularity of oratorios in Britain was comparable to that of opera in Italy).
• The status of the piano in British society at the time (the piano was associated with the upper classes, not with those of middle-class or lower standing like Elgar).
• Elgar's strong admiration for German symphonies.

Although Elgar's piano works are by no means numerous, the majority of them, written during his formative years for his piano students, are not technically demanding but are instead approachable, musically excellent, and charming pieces for piano learners.