Elgar's Enigma Variations is a sublime piece of musical portraiture, developing the enigmatic melody that gives the work its title into 13 sketches of the composer's friends, signed off with a robust ...

Elgar’s Enigma Variations is one of the greatest pieces of the 19th century – but people have puzzled over its hidden theme for years. In 1899, Sir Edward Elgar wrote his beautiful Enigma Variations, ...

Amateur cryptologist Mark Pitt reckons he’s uncovered the hidden theme that’s baffled sleuths for more than 100 years Name: Enigma Variations. Age: 118. Appearance: Enigmatic. Something to do with ...

Elgar’s Enigma Variations are a favourite on concert platforms the world over. Its enigma, however, remains unsolved: what is the tune at the heart of these variations? It was based on a well-known ...

One theme – endlessly talked about – and fourteen variations on it. Each variation was the result of a parlour game between Elgar and his wife, Alice. He’d played the theme to her, which he described ...

Stephen Johnson explores Elgar's "Enigma Variations", a series of 13 musical sketches of the composer's friends which concludes with a representation of Elgar himself. The theme of the variations was ...