Novello & Co Ltd. - Edward Elgar - Enigma Variations Op. 36

General

British composer Sir Edward Elgar loved riddles. The Enigma Variations he wrote in 1898 contain fourteen variations on a theme that, as he himself said, "is never played". Each variation depicts a specific person from his life. Ever since 1899, musicologists have been searching for the solution to the enigma; which theme did Edward Elgar use for his variations? Elgar sometimes gave small hints during his life, not understanding that no one could crack his code. This book contains all fourteen variations, arranged for piano.

Possible solutions

There are several theories about what the possible main theme Edward Elgar used for his variations is. The most plausible theories have been found by two Dutch musicologists. Theodore van Houten in 1976 gave as a possibility the well-known 'Rule Britannia' as a possible solution. Despite the fact that there are certainly some remarkable similarities between these two pieces, this theory does not seem to be entirely correct. A more plausible solution is Hans Westgeest's from 2007. He looked specifically at the ninth variation, the well-known 'Nimrod'. According to Westgeest, the original theme Elgar worked with consists of nine notes; coincidentally, the first nine notes of the Nimrod variation. When these notes are set in a four-quarter time, with a rest on the first beat each time, the similarity to the second movement of Beethoven's famous 'Pathétique Sonata' is suddenly completely clear. When both pieces are played simultaneously, they fit together exactly. Elgar's notes always come one note behind those of Beethoven. Thus, he literally and figuratively followed the example of his great inspiration Ludwig van Beethoven. Sir Edward Elgar never shared the solution with anyone, so it is still not 100 per cent certain what the one and only correct solution is.