The 'Sonatina' was composed by Edward Elgar in 1889, the year of his marriage. The year before this piece was written, 'Salut d'Amour' was composed, which Elgar presented to Alice, who would later become his wife, as a proposal.

Originally, this piece was written by Elgar for his niece May, the daughter of his sister Polly who married into the Grafton family, as an etude for piano beginners when May was eight years old. The draft of this piece bears the inscription: 'Composed with deep affection by Uncle Edward Elgar for May Grafton. January 4, 1889.'

Elgar's relationship with Polly's daughters, including May, who married into the Grafton family, was strong. When Elgar lost his beloved wife Alice in 1920 and was in the depths of despair, it was his nieces from the Grafton family who devotedly supported him.

For both Elgar and his niece May, this 'Sonatina' seems to have been a cherished piece filled with many memories. In his very late years, from 1930 to 1931, Elgar made several revisions to this piece, transforming it from a simple etude for piano beginners into a more substantial piece for experienced piano students, and it was published in 1931.

Let's examine the details of this two-movement piece and its revisions.

First Movement

G major, 2/4 time. The 1889 original version, written for May, was marked Allegretto, but this was changed to Andantino in the revised version. It is said that the initial 'Allegretto' marking reflected Elgar's kindness, making it easier for May, who was eight years old at the time, to play. The melody of the theme is very gentle, perfectly capturing the charm suitable for a young girl just beginning piano.

In the exposition, the original version was written with simple note figures, considering May, a piano beginner. However, in the revised version, both the rhythm and accompaniment became more complex, and the melody of the last four measures of the exposition was significantly altered.

The subsequent development section is short, consisting of eight measures in both the original and revised versions. While similarities can be observed in the musical structure, such as the number of measures and repeated subtle modulations, the original version featured a concise melody, whereas the revised version presents a more musical expression.

The recapitulation proceeds almost identically up to measure 30, but from measure 31 onwards, it is newly rewritten. Furthermore, the addition of numerous musical terms such as tempo changes and 'espress.' in the revised version indicates that it was written for those with a certain level of piano study. It is a charming piece, about one page long when open.

Second Movement

Both the original and revised versions are marked Allegro, in 2/4 time, and in G major. In the original version, the phrase 'as fast as you can!' was added to make it clear for young May, revealing Elgar's endearing paternal side.

First, let's look at the structure of the original version.

The exposition is broadly divided into the first and second themes. The first theme is a light theme, starting mezzo forte and making extensive use of sixteenth notes. The subsequent second theme modulates from G major to the dominant D major, featuring a contrasting structure with alternating forte and piano. The second theme has a repeat sign; after repeating, entering the second ending leads into the development section.

The beginning of the development section is somewhat elaborate, with the second theme appearing in the right hand and the first theme in the left hand simultaneously. The first theme, appearing in the left hand, is a fast passage of sixteenth notes, which would likely have been challenging for May, a piano beginner, in measures 36-37. Furthermore, in measures 40-41, parts of the first theme chase each other like a canon between the right and left hands, showcasing Elgar's compositional technique throughout. After an intervening passage, the tempo gradually slows from measure 76 to 77, and after a fermata, the Tempo resumes at measure 78, leading into the recapitulation.

The recapitulation is compact, quickly leading into the coda. After a sforzando in measure 83, the piece concludes majestically with a fortissimo.

Next, let's examine the differences between the 1889 original version and the revised version published in 1931.

In the exposition, both the first and second themes have been rewritten with a greater pursuit of musicality, but the overall outline of the music remains fundamentally unchanged. The only significant difference between the original and revised versions is the removal of the repeat in the second theme of the original version, leading directly into the development section.

In the development section, the part where the first and second themes are played simultaneously remains. However, the section incorporating the canon technique is not in the development section in the revised version; instead, it appears in the recapitulation from measure 75 onwards, replaced with something requiring more technique.

Although this piece consists of two movements, an examination of the manuscript annotations reveals that Elgar initially conceived it as a three-movement work: 'Allegretto-Andante-Allegro.' Above all, by unraveling the piece through a comparison of the original and revised versions, it becomes evident how much Elgar cherished his family. This piece is filled with Elgar's tenderness.