Variation IV (W. M. B.) with "Ein feste Burg"

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 Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations is dedicated to William Meath Baker (1858–1935), the Squire of Hasfield Court and a man renowned for his forceful personality and imperious manner. Elgar captured him in music with the marking strepitoso (“noisy, boisterous”), and the variation's driven, hammering energy leaves little doubt that the portrait is affectionate but unsparing. The Baker and Meath families were both dear to the Elgars: Alice befriended the Bakers before her marriage, and afterward Elgar formed his own close bond with the Meaths — a warmth reflected in the dedication of Variations III, IV, and X to members of that circle. Yet beneath the variation’s blunt, extroverted surface lies something altogether more subtle: a contrapuntal thread woven from Ein feste Burg, Martin Luther's great hymn of fortress and faith, playing silently through and over the movement.

The following contrapuntal mapping documents how Ein feste Burg plays “through and over” Variation IV, consistent with Elgar’s 1899 program note. The hymn’s phrase structure (ABCDEFB) is presented in a slightly expanded sequence (ABCDEFBAB), with Phrase A inserted before the final statement of the ending phrase — a subtle elaboration rather than a disruption of the chorale’s architecture. This expanded phrase sequence is consistent with the mapping employed in Variation III, and reflects the varied but systematic manner in which the phrase architecture of the hymn is adapted across the Enigma Variations: it is presented in retrograde over the Enigma Theme, in its original forward order in Variations I and II, and in this expanded form beginning with Variation III. The ability to map both the notes and phrases of Ein feste Burg in their correct sequential order across the full extent of Variation IV constitutes compelling evidence of a deliberate and systematic counterpoint.

The phrases of Ein feste Burg mapped over Variation IV come from three contrasting versions of the hymn by Martin Luther, J. S. Bach, and Felix Mendelssohn. These distinctive phrases form a unique tribrid melody, a pattern likewise observed in the contrapuntal mappings of the Enigma Theme, Variations I, II, and III. Phrases A, B, and F reflect Bach’s rendering in the final chorale (“Das Wort sie sollen lassen stahn”) from his Cantata BWV 80. Phrase C is based on Bach’s version and Mendelssohn’s distinct adaptation from the Finale of the Reformation Symphony, whose melodic contour aligns with Bach’s version. Phrase D follows the pattern of Luther’s original version, which Bach faithfully preserved in his rendering, and which Mendelssohn likewise retained. Phrase E retains the contours of Luther’s original version and Bach’s rendering. Ecclesiastes 4:12 declares that a threefold cord is not easily broken — and so it is with this tribrid theme, woven from the distinct but harmonious contributions of Luther, Bach, and Mendelssohn. Consult the following exhibit to easily compare phrases from all three versions of Ein feste Burg.

The next exhibit illustrates how Ein feste Burg was contrapuntally mapped above Variation IV through a carefully aligned series of melodic and harmonic conjunctions. In the score, melodic conjunctions (exact matches between a melody note of the hymn and a melody note in Variation IV) are marked with diamond-shaped noteheads, while harmonic conjunctions (matches between a hymn melody note and any non-melodic note in the variation) appear with triangle-shaped noteheads. Both types of conjunction require the notes to sound simultaneously to qualify as a match. The four dormant measures (152–155) where Ein feste Burg does not play coincide with a transition section — a dominant pedal point on D — that sets the stage for the recapitulation in bar 156, at which point the hidden theme resumes alongside the restatement of the movement's opening material. This alignment between the hymn’s dormancy and a pivotal structural juncture is consistent with Elgar’s characteristic strategy of concealing the hidden theme at key architectural boundaries.

The mapping draws on the principles of melodic interval mirroring and counterpoint. Melodic interval mirroring occurs when note intervals from Ein feste Burg are reflected in the variation over comparable or identical distances between notes in the melody and harmony lines. In counterpoint, similar motion occurs when both voices move in the same direction, not necessarily by the same degree. Contrary motion occurs when the hymn moves in the opposite direction to the variation, again not necessarily by the same interval. For the purposes of this analysis, similar motion encompasses parallel motion, and contrary motion encompasses oblique motion. In some instances, the upper voice of the variation moves in parallel with Ein feste Burg while the bass line moves in a contrary manner. Similar motion is indicated by SM and contrary motion by CM. An effective counterpoint typically employs a fairly balanced mix of these two types of motion, and this mapping clearly reflects that balance.

The following table summarizes 41 melodic conjunctions between Ein feste Burg and Variation IV, distributed across 19 out of 32 bars for 59% of the movement. The hymn is dormant over four measures (152–155) corresponding to the transition that precedes the recapitulation in bar 156. Among the active bars, melodic conjunctions are present in 19 of 28, representing nearly 68% coverage. Eight pitch classes participate in the melodic conjunctions with frequencies ranging from 1 to 13: A (5), B♭ (1), C (1), D (13), E (2), F (5), F♯ (2), and G (12). The two dominant pitches (D and G) together account for 25 of the 41 melodic conjunctions, or nearly 61%, reflecting the movement's firm grounding in G minor and its gravitational pull toward the dominant.

The next table summarizes 77 harmonic conjunctions between Ein feste Burg and Variation IV, distributed across 27 out of 32 bars for 84% of the movement. Excluding dormant bars (152-155), this coverage increases to 96%. Eight pitch classes participate in the harmonic conjunctions with frequencies ranging from 1 to 33: B♭ (1), C (1), D (9), E♭ (22), E (4), F (2), F♯ (5), and G (33). The two most numerous harmonic conjunctions (G and E♭) together account for 55 of the 77 harmonic conjunctions, or nearly 71%, reflecting the movement's tonal grounding in G minor and the expressive weight carried by its minor sixth degree.

In all, there is a combined total of 118 note conjunctions between Ein feste Burg and the short score of Variation IV, spanning 28 of the variation's 32 measures — nearly 88% of the movement. Notably, these conjunctions account for 100% of all active bars, meaning the chorale forms note conjunctions with Variation IV in every measure in which it is deemed active. The four dormant measures (152–155) correspond to a transitional passage leading to the recapitulation, where the hidden theme briefly withdraws at a structural boundary before returning — consistent with the strategic deployment of dormant measures observed in Variations II and III. Eighteen measures contain both melodic and harmonic conjunctions simultaneously (132, 134–140, 142, 147, 148, 150, 151, 156, and 158–161), representing 56% of the movement and 64% of the active measures. The precision with which Ein feste Burg replicates sequential note content phrase by phrase while preserving complete phrase architecture across 88% of Variation IV’s measures far exceeds what chance could plausibly produce.

The test Elgar set is simple but demanding: the covert principal theme must play “through and over” the entire set of Variations as a counterpoint. More than a century of purported solutions have failed to meet that requirement, for none has ever been successfully mapped contrapuntally above any complete movement. Ein feste Burg has met that test across every movement without exception, replicating sequential note content phrase by phrase while preserving the hymn’s phrase architecture from the Enigma Theme to the Finale. Ein feste Burg stands in a class all its own because it accomplishes what no other attempted solution can: it plays “through and over” the set as a counterpoint.

Conclusion

The contrapuntal evidence presented above demonstrates that Ein feste Burg forms a compelling contrapuntal fit with Variation IV (W. M. B.) in a manner consistent with Elgar’s 1899 program note. The mapping yields 41 melodic conjunctions and 77 harmonic conjunctions — a combined total of 118 — spanning 27 of 32 bars. Excluding the strategically dormant transition section (152–155), the hymn maintains a contrapuntal presence across 96% of the remaining bars, a density of coverage that strongly supports deliberate compositional intent rather than coincidence.

Equally significant is the structural integrity of the mapping. The phrase structure of Ein feste Burg (ABCDEFB) unfolds across Variation IV in a slightly expanded sequence (ABCDEFBAB), with Phrase A inserted before the final statement of the ending phrase — a subtle elaboration rather than a disruption of the chorale's architecture, consistent with the mapping observed with Variation III. The correct sequential order of the hymn’s phrases is preserved throughout, and the mapping faithfully mirrors the modes of the variation without reordering, compression, or omission.

The four dormant measures (152–155) coincide with the transition section that sets the stage for the recapitulation in bar 156 — a structurally pivotal moment at which the hidden theme resumes alongside the restatement of the movement's opening material. These null measures are not weaknesses in the mapping but intentional features, the seams of a carefully constructed musical disguise. Eighteen measures containing both melodic and harmonic conjunctions simultaneously — representing 64% of active measures — further underscore the depth and consistency of the contrapuntal relationship.

The melodic and harmonic conjunctions, the integrity of the phrase structure, and the strategic deployment of dormant measures form a coherent and mutually reinforcing body of evidence affirming that Variation IV is a clear and convincing counterpoint to Ein feste Burg. To learn more about the secrets of the Enigma Variations, read my eBook Elgar’s Enigmas Exposed. Like my heavenly Father’s gift of salvation, the price is free. Please support my original research by becoming a sponsor on Patreon.

Soli Yah Gloria