"Enigma" Variations

The story behind the creation of English composer EDWARD ELGAR’s most famous symphonic work - Variations on an Original Theme (“Enigma”), Op. 36 - begins on an October evening in 1898. After a tiring day of teaching lessons and entertaining his wife Alice, he improvised a melody and various variations of it on the piano. This work, begun in jest and continued with deep seriousness, sketches my friends Elgar recounts. Thus was born the brilliant orchestral cycle of a theme with 14 variations, in which he not only encoded their identities with their initials (and in some cases their nicknames), but also characteristically captured the peculiarities of their personalities, gestures, and laughter. The identities of the “portrayed” friends are now known: Variation I “C.A.E.” is dedicated to his wife, Caroline Alice Elgar, whose life was for him a romantic and delicate inspiration. Variation II “H.D.S.-P.” is dedicated to pianist Hugh David Stewart-Powell, with whom he played in a trio. In Variation III “R.B.T.,” the writer Richard Baxter Townsend is wittily portrayed, with his ability to shift from his bass voice to falsetto. In Variation IV “W.M.B.” appears William Mead Baker - a provincial gentleman with a sharp temper and a tendency to frequently slam doors. Variation V “R.P.A.”is dedicated to the young philosopher Richard Penrose Arnold, who loved to interject whimsical and humorous remarks into serious conversations. Variation VI, “Ysobel,” is named after Isabel Fitton, a friend of Elgar’s who struggled to learn the viola under his tutelage. Variation VII, “Troyte,” is dedicated to the architect Arthur Troyt Griffith, another of his not particularly successful students, and his clumsy attempts at playing the piano. Variation VIII, “W.N.,” is dedicated to Winifred Norbury, secretary of the Worcester Philharmonic Society. More specifically, to her hospitable home, a hub for many concerts and gatherings. The centerpiece of the cycle - Variation IX “Nimrod” - symbolically introduces the German August Jäger, an editor at the music publishing house “Novello & Co” and a dear friend of Elgar’s, who encouraged him to compose. In a play on words (in German, “Jäger” means hunter), it uses the name of Nimrod from the Old Testament, described as “a mighty hunter before the Lord.” This variation is often performed as a standalone piece at memorial services. Variation X “Dorabella” (Mozart’s heroine) is a playful parody of the vivacious Miss Dora Penny, with a hint of her slight stutter. Variation XI “G.R.S.” is not actually a portrait of Dr. George Robertson Sinclair, but of his bulldog, Dan. Elgar vividly depicts the incident when Dan fell into the river, swam frantically against the current, and came ashore with a joyful bark. Variation XII “B.G.N.” is for Basil George Nevinson, the cellist in Elgar’s trio, with his wonderful instrument. The asterisks in Variation XIII “***” conceal the name of Lady Mary Laigon, who set out on a sea voyage to Australia. Or, in another version, the name of his former fiancée Helen Weaver, who left him. That is why Elgar includes a quote from Mendelssohn’s overture “A Calm Sea and a Happy Voyage” in the clarinet solo. And the final Variation XIV “E.D.U.” (the pet name “Edu” by which his wife called him) is a self-portrait of the composer. In it, he weaves in themes from the variations by Alice and Jäger, his greatest supporters. There is a second, deeper “enigma” in the work, which Elgar alludes to but does not wish to be unraveled: “Another, more expansive theme ‘runs’ through and over the entire cycle, yet it is never actually played.” Speculation that this is a musical theme has sparked hundreds of studies; even the American magazine The Saturday Review announced a contest in 1953 to discover it. But there are theories that The Enigma is merely an idea that refers to love, friendship, or even the composer’s loneliness. Shortly after the premiere of the work on June 19^th , 1899, in London, conducted by Hans Richter, and the second premiere - featuring an extended, majestic finale - on September 13, 1899, in Worcester, conducted by the composer himself, Elgar became a symbol of the British musical renaissance. He was one of the first composers, along with Richard Strauss, to document the interpretation of his music using new technologies. In 1920, he made an acoustic recording of the “Enigma” Variations in an abridged version for the company “His Master’s Voice,” and in 1926, using electrical (microphone) technology, he recorded the complete work, conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.