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| Edward Elgar |
"Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending."
Edward Elgar
The concluding movement of the Enigma Variations has the initials E.D.U. and the fitting subtitle Finale. The initials come from the first three letters in the German spelling of Elgar’s first name, Eduard. His wife gave him the affectionate nickname “Edoo” based on this German rendering. The initials E.D.U. suggest the Germanic origin of the unstated Principle Theme (Ein feste Burg). Contained within theses initials for Elgar’s musical self portrait is a reference to an acronym found extensively in the private correspondence of General Charles Gordon. The initials D.U. form the Latin equivalent D.V., an apotropaic meaning Deo Volente – God willing.[1] Elgar used the initials D.V. in his own personal correspondence.[2] It is remarkable Elgar planned to compose a symphony in honor of General Gordon shortly before beginning work on the Enigma Variations. Knowing Gordon’s disdain for earthly honors and recognition, Elgar likely realized the best way – the right way – to honor Gordon would be to pay musical homage to Gordon’s God and Savior. To be consistent with Gordon’s fervent belief in and practice of hidden charity (the kind Jesus described as when the right hand knows not what the left is doing[3]), Elgar honors within the Enigma Variations the hidden God (le Dieu caché) with a hidden theme, and a hidden tribute to a hidden Friend to all, Jesus of Nazareth. In the final analysis, the Enigma Variations are a Christogram wrapped in a cryptogram concealed in an enigma.
Figure 19.1 demonstrates how Ein feste Burg plays “through and over” Variation XIV. A sound file of this solution is available on YouTube.
Ein feste Burg was carefully mapped over Variation XIV based primarily on a phenomenon I describe as melodic interval mirroring. This occurs when intervals and notes from the source melody are reflected in the variation over similar or identical metrical distances. In the vast majority of cases, melodic intervals are mirrored not only over the same number of beats, but also by the same notes appearing in Ein feste Burg. Additional factors weighed in the mapping process were the contrapuntal devices of contrary and similar motion. Similar motion occurs when Ein feste Burg moves in the same direction as the variation, but not necessarily by the same intervals. Contrary motion takes place when the melody from Ein feste Burg moves in the opposite direction of the variation, again not necessarily by the same interval. The rhythmic contours of Ein feste Burg are essentially dictated by the score of Variation XIV, so any attempt to describe the melodic solution in terms of free rhythm would be misguided. As with any successful counterpoint, the degree of incidence between two contrapuntal lines should remain sufficiently low to assure the independence of each voice. Elgar said “the connexion between the Variations and the Theme is often of the slightest texture…”[4] This technique is crucial when the composer is deliberately concealing a famous source melody.
Inactive measures are defined as those in the variation over which Ein feste Burg does not play. According to this definition, 77 out of a total of 236 measures in Variation XIV were found to be inactive. In other words, 33% of the movement does not present a clear counterpoint to Ein feste Burg. The total 236 does not include the pick up measure preceding the first full measure of the movement. There are eight inactive measure groupings as shown below:
Following the premiere in June 1899, Elgar added 97 measures to the Finale to produce a more artistically satisfying and dramatic conclusion. Based on my analysis, 43 of those 97 measures are inactive with a discernable counterpoint with Ein feste Burg in only 56% of those measures. Elgar did not find it necessary to continue with the counterpoint throughout the full ending, an approach found in variations II, III, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, and XIII. This makes perfect sense from a cryptographic standpoint because concluding the counterpoint before the variation ends makes it far more difficult to work backwards and interpolate the notes of the hidden theme. The same holds true for not always beginning the hidden melody at the start of a variation, a phenomenon present in Variations I, II, III, VII, and XII. With no predictable start and end points, uncovering a counterpoint becomes far more daunting and uncertain.
Table 19.1 identifies 204 melodic note conjunctions between Ein feste Burg and Variation XIV present in 85 or 53% of all active measures (160). There are 12 not types with frequencies ranging from 1 (B flat) to 45 (G).
Table 19.2 identifies 464 chordal note conjunctions between Ein feste Burg and Variation XIV present in 148 or 93% of all active measures (160). There are 12 not types with frequencies ranging from 1 (F) to 166 (G).
Table 19.3 summarizes 668 note matches between Ein feste Burg and the piano reduction of Variation XIV. There are 12 note types with frequencies ranging from 3 (B flat) to 211 (G).
Conclusion
Based on data presented in Figure 19.1 and Tables 19.1-19.3, the preponderance of the evidence shows Variation XIV is a clear and convincing counterpoint to Ein feste Burg.
[1] Strachey, Lytton. Eminent Victorians: Cardinal Manning, Dr Arnold, Florence New York
[2] Elgar, E. (1965). Letters to Nimrod: Edward Elgar to August Jaeger, 1897-1908. London
[3] Matthew 6:1-3 says, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
[4] Rushton, Julian. Elgar: Enigma Variations (Cambridge New York : Cambridge University
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