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Sir John Barbirolli New Philharmonia Orchestra Sospiri, Op. 70, is an adagio for string orchestra, harp (or piano), and organ (or harmonium) composed by Edward Elgar just before the beginning of World War I. Elgar originally intended it for violin and piano, as a companion piece to Salut d'Amour and had in mind the title Soupir d'Amour (French for "Sigh of Love"). While composing it, however, he realised that he was writing something more intense, and so chose an Italian word, sospiri, meaning "sighs". The work, with a performance time of approximately five minutes, was first performed on 15 August 1914 in Queen's Hall in London, conducted by Sir Henry Wood. Sospiri was dedicated to Elgar's long-time friend, the violinist W. H. "Billy" Reed.
