Perhaps on a suggestion of Richter or August Jaeger (see Variation IX), Elgar reworked the last variation by adding 100 measures and an organ part. Elgar’s Variations were his first major success and his first (and some would argue only) truly successful full-scale orchestral work. The year after Enigma’s premiere, Elgar was awarded an honorary doctorate by Cambridge University, and was subsequently knighted in 1904. After its premiere Elgar was almost immediately hailed as the greatest English composer to date and his music gained worldwide recognition.
James’s Hall in London with the esteemed Hans Richter conducting. I will not explain-its ‘dark saying’ must be left unguessed, and I warn you that the apparent connection between the variations and the theme is often of the slightest texture further, through and over the whole set another larger theme “goes,” but it is not played … So the principal theme never appears, even as in some late dramas … the chief character is never on the stage.” Enigmatic indeed.Įlgar’s Enigma Variations premiered on Jat St. Elgar succeeded at the very definition of the word, made most clear by this note that accompanied the work to its first annotator: “The Variations should stand simply as a piece of music. To whom each variation refers, and why, is clearly outlined in Elgar’s words the “enigma” however, is a mystery for the ages. him (or her) self … if they were asses enough to compose.” That is to say I’ve written the variations each one to represent the mood of the ‘party’-I’ve liked to imagine the ‘party’ writing the var. He sent what he had written to his publisher August Jaeger, himself an inspiration for one of the variations, with the following note: “I have sketched a set of Variations … on an original theme: the Variations have amused me because I’ve labeled ‘em with the nicknames of my particular friends- you are Nimrod. In his exhaustion and playfulness with Alice he began including characteristics of several of his friends and colleagues in the variations.
His wife Alice was struck by the tune and as the evening continued he began improvising variations to go with the melody. More than a decade after the Enigma Variations were composed, Elgar reflectively stated in 1911 that the variations started “in a spirit of humour, and continued in deep seriousness.” The story goes that after a long, grueling day of teaching, Elgar returned home and sat at his piano and began improvising a melody.
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