Elgar’s Long Standing Enigma
July 21st 2006 07:30
In the second part of my coverage on Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, I’ll be looking at the idea of a ‘hidden theme’ in the work. The program for the concert I attended recently had a fascinating section written by Yvonne Frindle that succinctly summarised information about this. To save pointless paraphrasing, I have reproduced it here verbatim:
For more than a century the ‘enigma’ of Elgar’s Variations has kept musicians and music-lovers intrigued. As recently as 1999, Julian Rushton, in his Cambridge Music Handbook on the Enigma Variations, devoted a chapter to the many ingenious solutions that have been proposed, while observing, ‘since interest in the question shows no signs of abating, I expect to be out of date on publication’. Rarely has a musical work prompted so much speculation. But first, the facts:
‘The Enigma I will not explain – its ‘dark saying’ must be left unguessed, and I warn you that the connexion between the Variations and the Theme is often of the slightest texture; further, through and over the whole set another and larger theme ’goes’, but is not played…’ (From the program note for the first performance)
From Elgar’s comments, Rushton concludes that any solution must both unveil the ‘dark saying’ and find ‘another and larger theme’ that goes ‘through and over’ the whole set.
In the 1930s Dora Powell, Dorabella of the Variations, wrote that ‘the notion that it could be anything other than a tune is relatively modern…Elgar made it perfectly clear to us when the work was being written that the Enigma was concerned with a tune.’ This would seem to rule out non-musical ‘themes’ such as the ‘theme of friendship’, even though for many musicians this is a plausible and satisfying option for a ‘larger theme’ that goes ‘through and over’ the whole set. Elgar had also told her, ‘It is so well known that it is extraordinary no-one has spotted it’, and that he thought she ‘of all people’ would guess it.
This gives Rushton two additional criteria: that any solution must involve well known music, ‘or at least something well known’, and that it must be evident why Dora ‘of all people’ should guess it. As he points out, very few solutions even try to meet all these criteria.
Those who interpret the ‘enigma’ as a tune that will ‘go’ with the Theme (if not the individual variations) have precedent on their side. Elgar enjoyed challenges of this type, and had even superimposed the National Anthem on the 5\4 waltz from Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique Symphony.
Troyte Griffith (Var. VII) offered God Save the King only to be told by the composer ‘Of course not’. Rule Brittania has supporters – until 1970 Brittania appeared on the tail-side of the British penny and Dora’s maiden name was Penny. The first published solution, within a few months of Elgar’s death, was Auld lang syne. It has also been suggested that the theme is an inversion of a simple five-finger exercise. Those looking for more sophisticated solutions have suggested Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata and Mozart’s Prague Symphony.
Others have drawn on Elgar’s fondness for musical ciphers and note-spelling, including conductor Christopher Seaman, who, by including the bass notes when the violins are resting, reads the Theme as a dedication to Elgar’s daughter, A. Carice. Michael Kennedy made a connection between the rhythm and phrasing of the Theme and the composer’s name: Ed-ward Ehhhl’gaaar; its melodic shape has been likened to the contours of the Malvern Hills near where Elgar lived.
There is no artistic need for a solution to be found, but clearly Elgar’s enigma touches a psychological nerve. Indeed, it is tempting to stop and ask whether Elgar was simply playing a tremendous joke, just as one of Tom Stoppard’s characters responds to Fermat’s last theorem: ‘There is no proof…The thing that is perfectly obvious is that the note in the margin was a joke to make you all go mad.’ (Arcadia)
We can go mad trying to solve Elgar’s ‘enigma’ – he has taken its secret to the grave – but we do know that Elgar believed the Variations ‘should stand simply as a “piece” of music’. And it does stand – as one of the best-loved pieces in the orchestral repertoire.
Yvonne Frindle
Sydney Symphony ©2006
There you have it. A little bit more interesting information on this subject can be found here if anyone is interested.
I’d like to extend thanks to visitors that are making this journal more popular. Keep spreading the word!
See you next week.
For more than a century the ‘enigma’ of Elgar’s Variations has kept musicians and music-lovers intrigued. As recently as 1999, Julian Rushton, in his Cambridge Music Handbook on the Enigma Variations, devoted a chapter to the many ingenious solutions that have been proposed, while observing, ‘since interest in the question shows no signs of abating, I expect to be out of date on publication’. Rarely has a musical work prompted so much speculation. But first, the facts:
‘The Enigma I will not explain – its ‘dark saying’ must be left unguessed, and I warn you that the connexion between the Variations and the Theme is often of the slightest texture; further, through and over the whole set another and larger theme ’goes’, but is not played…’ (From the program note for the first performance)
From Elgar’s comments, Rushton concludes that any solution must both unveil the ‘dark saying’ and find ‘another and larger theme’ that goes ‘through and over’ the whole set.
In the 1930s Dora Powell, Dorabella of the Variations, wrote that ‘the notion that it could be anything other than a tune is relatively modern…Elgar made it perfectly clear to us when the work was being written that the Enigma was concerned with a tune.’ This would seem to rule out non-musical ‘themes’ such as the ‘theme of friendship’, even though for many musicians this is a plausible and satisfying option for a ‘larger theme’ that goes ‘through and over’ the whole set. Elgar had also told her, ‘It is so well known that it is extraordinary no-one has spotted it’, and that he thought she ‘of all people’ would guess it.
This gives Rushton two additional criteria: that any solution must involve well known music, ‘or at least something well known’, and that it must be evident why Dora ‘of all people’ should guess it. As he points out, very few solutions even try to meet all these criteria.
Those who interpret the ‘enigma’ as a tune that will ‘go’ with the Theme (if not the individual variations) have precedent on their side. Elgar enjoyed challenges of this type, and had even superimposed the National Anthem on the 5\4 waltz from Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique Symphony.
Sir Edwar Elgar, who took the secret of his Enigma Variations to his grave
Others have drawn on Elgar’s fondness for musical ciphers and note-spelling, including conductor Christopher Seaman, who, by including the bass notes when the violins are resting, reads the Theme as a dedication to Elgar’s daughter, A. Carice. Michael Kennedy made a connection between the rhythm and phrasing of the Theme and the composer’s name: Ed-ward Ehhhl’gaaar; its melodic shape has been likened to the contours of the Malvern Hills near where Elgar lived.
There is no artistic need for a solution to be found, but clearly Elgar’s enigma touches a psychological nerve. Indeed, it is tempting to stop and ask whether Elgar was simply playing a tremendous joke, just as one of Tom Stoppard’s characters responds to Fermat’s last theorem: ‘There is no proof…The thing that is perfectly obvious is that the note in the margin was a joke to make you all go mad.’ (Arcadia)
We can go mad trying to solve Elgar’s ‘enigma’ – he has taken its secret to the grave – but we do know that Elgar believed the Variations ‘should stand simply as a “piece” of music’. And it does stand – as one of the best-loved pieces in the orchestral repertoire.
Yvonne Frindle
Sydney Symphony ©2006
There you have it. A little bit more interesting information on this subject can be found here if anyone is interested.
I’d like to extend thanks to visitors that are making this journal more popular. Keep spreading the word!
See you next week.
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