Edward Elgar composed his Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36, popularly known as the Enigma Variations, [a] between October 1898 and February 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme.

Edward Elgar - Variations on an Original Theme (Enigma), Op. 36 (1898)00:00 Theme (Enigma: Andante)02:18 Variation I (L'istesso tempo) "C.A.E."04:12 Variatio...

Enigma Variations, series of 14 short musical portraits by Edward Elgar that premiered in London on June 19, 1899. The subjects of these portraits were several of the composer’s friends and family. The work’s origins were described by Elgar in …

Jun 19, 2024 · Discover the unsolved mystery behind Elgar’s ‘Enigma Variations’ which established his international reputation. Illustration: uDiscoverMusic. It was Elgar ’s Enigma Variations (or Variations...

Elgar’s Enigma Variations is one of the greatest pieces of the 19th century – and this is the true story about how it came about.

Variation IX 'Nimrod' is a popular movement for arranging (e.g, 'The Matrix', 'Lux Aeterna') and the purpose of sharing this digital scan/copy is to provide the community with Engraving Files as a starting point for making arrangements.

There are two enigmas underlying the variations. The first and more readily solved is the identity of each of the 'friends pictured within'.

After creating a theme based on his own personality (Enigma), Elgar wrote short musical variations that reflected the people around him. Can you hear the common theme in each of the variations?

Feb 22, 2024 · Divided into three sections, including a contrasting middle section and a reprise of the opening, the “Enigma” theme oscillates between the minor and major key. Each of the 14 variations involves a musical portrayal of friends and loved ones from Elgar’s inner circle in provincial central England.

Elgar’s 1899 Variations on an Original Theme provides the listener an opportunity to follow a musical idea through diverse transformations. The piece earned its moniker “Enigma” for two reasons: first, because the composer himself claimed that the original theme was combined with another theme in his mind—a kind of shadow musical ...