‘The Enigma I will not explain – its “dark saying” must be left unguessed'.
In his programme note for the premiere of his brand new Enigma Variations, the composer Edward Elgar laid down the gauntlet for music detectives. He went on, 'And I warn you that the apparent connection 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.’
To this day the enigma at the heart of the Enigma remains ‘unsolved’. So what is the meaning of the Enigma by Elgar? Here are five of the most popular theories…
What is the meaning of the Enigma by Elgar? Five theories
1. It's basically 'Auld Lang Syne'
A long-time favourite of the counterpoint theorists, who feel the solution lies with a melody from the much-loved traditional Scottish song 'Auld Lang Syne' that can be played at the same time as Elgar’s original theme. It was first suggested by Dora Penny, but refuted by the composer.
Have a listen below and see what you think:
2. It's the British national anthem
Others, including Elgar's friend Arthur Troyte Griffith (subject of Variation VII) have suggested that the Enigma theme is designed to be heard alongside, and in counterpoint to, the British national anthem. Again, Elgar dismissed this theory.
3. It's Mozart’s ‘Prague’ Symphony
Of those theories based on connectivity – themes that show a familial resemblance to Elgar’s own – the second movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 'Prague' is often mooted. Hear any resemblance, below?
4. It's Beethoven’s ‘Pathétique’ Sonata
Some have found that the Adagio central movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8, the ‘Pathétique’, bears strong echoes to the Enigma's best loved variation, 'Nimrod'. Can you hear it? Here's Beethoven:
And here's 'Nimrod':
5. It's Pi (yes, you read that right: Pi)
Applying the decimal approximation of Pi (3.142) to the degrees of the scale, you get Elgar’s theme. (We won't do the maths here, but trust us). And his love of puns is satisfied by the nursery rhyme quote ‘Four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in a pi(e),’ which gives you his ‘dark saying’... convinced?
6. It's the hymn 'Now the Day is Over'
Dr Clive McClelland, associate professor in the School of Music at the Universty of Leeds, believes he has found a compelling link between Elgar's enigma and the 19th-century hymn 'Now the Day is Over', by Sabine Baring-Gould.
McClelland has managed to map all 24 notes of the Enigma onto Baring-Gould's hymn - which, he points out, other theories fail to do. Of these, twelve pitches are identical and the other 12 create harmonious intervals, with never a dissonance in sight.
OK, so the hymn’s notes don't exactly match those of the Enigma theme, nor do the rhythms match. But, McClelland points out, these things aren't that important when you consider that Elgar was merely improvising at the piano, playing around, when he wrote the tune.
McClelland’s discovery is intriguing for several reasons. One of Elgar’s hints was that the solution must reveal a 'dark saying' - which fits well with the hymn's theme, of the ending of the day, and its actual depiction of the night sky darkening.
Likewise, Elgar once remarked that his friend Dora Penny, 'of all people', should be able to solve the enigma. As the daughter of a victar, she would almost certainly have been familiar with the hymn. Convincing?