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 ...

Here's a musical riddle that has kept people guessing for over a century. English composer Edward Elgar's Variations on an Original Theme, ('Enigma') op. 36 is one of England's most beloved musical ...

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 ...

Pop hitmaker Ed Sheeran says his new album is inspired by his 20th century musical namesake, Edward Elgar. Around the year 1900, Elgar wrote to his publisher Jaeger – known in his musical sketch as ...

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 ...

Conductor Martyn Brabbins celebrated his 60th birthday in fine fashion: with a new commission for 14 composers to create their own set of orchestral variations on an anonymous theme, mirroring the ...

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 ...