Variation IV W.M.B. with 'Ein feste Burg'

 

William Meath Baker



"The mark of highest originality lies in the ability to develop a familiar idea so fruitfully it would seem no one else would ever have discovered so much to be hidden in it."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Variation IV from Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations is dedicated to William Meath Baker (1858 - 1935), the Squire of Hasfield Court. Alice befriended the Baker family before meeting Elgar. After he married, Elgar befriended the Meath family. One outcome of that friendship is Elgar dedicated three of the variations to members of that family, i.e., III, IV and X.
Ein feste Burg plays 'through and over' Variation IV as shown in Figure 6.1.  A sound file of this melodic solution is available here. 

Figure 6.2 shows how Ein feste Burg was carefully mapped over W.M.B. based on melodic interval mirroring, and the contrapuntal devices of contrary and similar motion. Melodic interval mirroring occurs when note intervals from Ein feste Burg are mirrored or reflected in the variation over similar or identical durations between notes. Similar motion occurs when voices from Ein feste Burg and the variation move in the same direction, but not necessarily by the same interval. Contrary motion takes place when Ein feste Burg moves in the opposite direction than the variation, again not necessarily by the same interval. In some cases, the upper voice of the variation moves parallel with Ein feste Burg while the base line moves in contrary fashion. An effective counterpoint typically employs a fairly balanced combination of contrary and parallel motion, something very apparent in this mapping.

Table 6.1 summarizes 26 melodic conjunctions between Ein feste Burg and W.M.B. A melodic conjunction is defined as a shared note between the two melody lines. Share melody notes are dispersed over 28 of 32 measures from Variation IV. Ein feste Burg was found to be dormant in 4 out of 32 measures, namely measures 178 through 181. This means Ein feste Burg plays in 28 out of 32 measures, or 87.5 % of the time. In measures where the missing Principal Theme is deemed active, shared melody notes are present in 19 of those 28 measures, or almost 68% of all active measures.

Table 6.2 breaks down melodic conjunctions between Ein feste Burg and Variation IV by note type. There are 8 types of shared melody notes with frequencies range from 1 to 8.

Table 6.3 gives a complete breakdown of all shared notes between Ein feste Burg and a piano reduction of Variation IV. There are 113 shared notes spread out over 28 measures.  Melodic conjunctions are indicated in bold enclosed in a double box. All other note conjunctions are shown in bold within a single box. Note conjunctions not involving both melody lines are also known as chordal conjunctions. Ein feste Burg was deemed active in 28 measures, so almost 88% of active measures have shared notes. There are 9 shared note types with frequencies ranging from 2 to 40.

Table 6.4 condenses data from Table 6.3 according to note type and frequency with a total of 9 types of shared notes with frequencies ranging from 2 to 40. Of these shared notes, 8 are shared by both melodies (i.e., A, B flat, C, D, E, F, F# and G).

Conclusion

Based on data from Figures 5.1, 5.2 and Tables 5.1 through 5.4, the preponderance of the evidence proves R.B.T. is a clear and convincing counterpoint to Ein feste Burg.

Soli Deo Gloria