For musicians and composers who could afford to travel in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, Leipzig became a focus of pilgrimage.  As a leading centre for enlightened music publishing, with its association with Bach and Mendelssohn, not to mention having one of the finest opera houses in Germany, it attracted composers in search of a style of their own. Iain Quinn discusses the teaching and teachers at the Leipzig Conservatorium, and the subsequent transformation of the English organ sonata from a functional educational model to a work of virtuosity on a symphonic scale, culminating in Elgar's contribution to the genre.

This content is available free of charge to College members. To find out more about joining RCO, please click here.

Non-members with an iRCO guest account can view this content with a one-off payment of £2.49. Please enter your details below to begin the secure payment process.