HEYWARD CONDUCTS ENIGMA VARIATIONS is depicted in variation three. A banging door and quick exit are depicted in the fourth variation, representing William Meath Baker, a blustery country squire. Richard Penrose Arnold, an amateur pianist, is portrayed through a musical conversation that is both somber and exciting in variation five. In variation six, Elgar uses string crossings to demonstrate a technical exercise for his viola student Isabel Fitton. The recollection of being caught outside in a thunderstorm, as well as Elgar’ s jibing at his best friend Troyte Griffith’ s incompetence at playing the piano are conveyed in variation seven. The subject of variation eight is Winifred Norbury, a secretary of the Worcester Philharmonic Society who was known for her gracious personality.
Perhaps the most famous variation is the ninth,“ Nimrod,” which refers to August Jaeger, the music editor for Novello & Co. The variation tells the story of Jaeger encouraging Elgar to write something beautiful in the face of difficult circumstances. The dance-like tenth variation was dedicated to Dora Penny. Organist George Sinclair’ s dog falling into a stream and paddling to safety is portrayed in variation eleven. The solo cello featured in variation twelve represents cellist Basil George Nevinson. We follow Lady Mary Lygon, a music festival sponsor, on a great sea voyage in the thirteenth variation. The final variation is about the composer himself; it is as he writes“ bold and vigorous,” demonstrating to the world that he had what it took to be a successful composer. At the end of the score Elgar quoted Torquato Tasso’ s 1581 Jerusalem Delivered:“ I long for much, I hope for little, I ask for nothing.” It seems that the Enigma Variations brought about much of that for which Elgar had longed.
Instrumentation: Two flutes( second doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, suspended cymbal, cymbals( pair), bass drum, snare drum, triangle, organ, and strings.
PAULA MAUST is Assistant Professor of Music Theory at the Peabody Conservatory. She is the author of Expanding the Music Theory Canon and performs extensively as a harpsichordist and organist.
BSO Board Chair, Christian Johansson at the 2025 Meyerhoff Gala
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