Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra (" Enigma "), Op.

He composed his “ Elgar-theme ” as a countermelody to the beginning of the mysterious “ principal Theme ” which is “ not played ” in the Enigma Variations.

* John Pickard, " Variations on an Original Theme (‘ Enigma ’) ( 1898 – 9 )" from BBC Radio 3

One of the most famous programs, because it has never been definitively identified, is the secret non-musical idea or theme-the " Enigma "-which underlies Edward Elgar's Variations on an Original Theme ( Enigma ) of 1899.

Edward and Dora liked one another and remained friends for the rest of the composer's life: Elgar named Variation 10 of his 1899 Variations on an Original Theme ( Enigma ) Dorabella as a dedication to Dora Penny.

* The San Francisco-based band Om mentions Absalom in their song " Kapila's Theme " from their debut album Variations on a Theme.

He also composed one large scale instrumental work in 1815 intended as a study in late classical orchestration: Twenty-Six Variations for the Orchestra on a Theme called La Folia di Spagna.

La Folia was the most monumental set of orchestral variations before Brahms ' Variations on a Theme by Haydn.

Regarding Schmidt's political naivety, Michael Steinberg, in his magisterial book, The Symphony, tells of Schmidt's recommending Variations on a Hebrew Theme by his student Israel Brandmann to a musical group associated with the proto-Nazi German National Party.

* Concertante Variations on a Theme of Beethoven for Piano ( left hand alone ) with orchestral accompaniment ; comp.

* Variations and Fugue on an original Theme in D major ( King's Fanfare from Fredigundis ); 3.

* Variations and Fugue on an original Theme in D major ( King's Fanfare from Fredigundis ); 4.

Brahms's works in variation form include, among others, the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel and the Paganini Variations, both for solo piano, and the Variations on a Theme by Haydn ( now sometimes called the Saint Anthony Variations ) in versions for two pianos and for orchestra.

Although Wagner became fiercely critical of Brahms as the latter grew in stature and popularity, he was enthusiastically receptive of the early Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel ; Brahms himself, according to many sources ( Swafford, 1999 ), deeply admired Wagner's music, confining his ambivalence only to the dramaturgical precepts of Wagner's theory.

The English composer John McCabe wrote his Variations on a Theme of Karl Amadeus Hartmann ( 1964 ) in tribute.

The most notable examples include Brahms's Variations on a Theme of Paganini and Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Others include Frédéric Chopin's Variations on " Là ci darem la mano " from Don Giovanni ( 1827 ); Max Reger's Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart ( 1914 ), based on the variation theme in the piano sonata K. 331 ; Fernando Sor's Introduction and Variations on a Theme by Mozart ( 1821 ); and Mikhail Glinka's Variations on a Theme from Mozart's Opera Die Zauberflöte in E ♭ major ( 1822 ).

One of his Enigma Variations was inspired by a bulldog named Dan falling into the River Wye at Hereford, and the dog is similarly honoured with a wooden statue beside the river.

Norrington caused controversy during the 2008 Proms season by conducting Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations, and the Last Night of the Proms, in non-vibrato style, which he calls pure tone.

36, commonly referred to as the Enigma Variations, is a set of a theme and its fourteen variations written for orchestra by Edward Elgar in 1898 – 1899.

The Enigma Variations has been given over sixty recordings since 1924.

Elgar eventually expanded and orchestrated these improvisations into the Enigma Variations.

The pianist Joseph Cooper proposed the theory that the theme may be based on part of Mozart's " Prague " Symphony, which was on the programme at the " Enigma " Variations ' premiere in 1899.

Edwards wrote, " In connection with these much discussed Variations, Mr Elgar tells us that the heading Enigma is justified by the fact that it is possible to add another phrase, which is quite familiar, above the original theme that he has written.

The real theme of the Enigma Variations which is present everywhere throughout the work in different shapes, is rather short: it consists of only nine notes ( the first nine notes of Nimrod with added crotchet rests ) on the rhythm of Edward Elgar ’ s own name (" short-short-long-long ", and the reverse of it, " long-long-short-short " and an endnote ).

By doing so, the artist triumphs over depression and discouragement in the Finale, " E. D. U. " So, like some works of Elgar ’ s contemporaries Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, the Enigma Variations are about the artist himself: ( almost ) all the themes of the work are in fact derived from the ‘ Elgar theme ’.

Elgar wrote his Enigma Variations in the year following the Indiana Pi Bill of 1897, and noted in 1910 that the work was “ commenced in a spirit of humour ”.

Frederick Ashton's ballet Enigma Variations ( My Friends Pictured Within ) is choreographed to Elgar's score with the exception of the finale, which uses Elgar's original shorter ending ( see above ), transcribed from the manuscript by John Lanchbery.

The Enigma Variations inspired a drama in the form of a dialogue – original title " Variations Énigmatiques " ( 1996 ) – by the French dramatist Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt.

The subjects of the Enigma Variations as portrayed in contemporary photographs and Elgar's manuscript.

Elgar's Enigma Variations.

* Piano adaptation of Enigma Variations in MIDI file ( 104KB ) The theme and its 14 variations are located at ca.

* Discovering Music Enigma Variations (. ram file )

* Leonard Slatkin introduced Elgar's Enigma Variations from BBC Proms 1995

fr: Variations Enigma

Edward Elgar attempts to use the timpani to imitate the engine of an ocean liner in his " Enigma " Variations by requesting the timpanist play a soft roll with snare drum sticks.

These include accounts of Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony and Elgar's Enigma Variations.