“The essence of beauty is unity in variety.”
Extensive research demonstrates the covert Principal Theme to Elgar’s Enigma Variations is
the famous Lutheran hymn A Mighty
Fortress (Ein feste Burg). Now new cryptographic evidence has emerged confirming that novel theory. An ingenious alphanumeric cipher embedded within the Mendelssohn fragments of Variation XIII produces the initials for Ein feste Burg: E.F.B. This cipher relies on the number of times a fragment is stated in a particular key to pinpoint the solution letter from a series of note letters from each key fragment. Counting backwards the number of times a fragment is performed in a specific key generates the solution letter from a series of unique note letters derived from that fragment.
There
are two Mendelssohn fragments in A-flat major containing the note letters C, B
and A. Since only unique note letters are required for the cipher, the repeated A
at the end of the fragment is listed only once. Counting backwards two steps in the
series C-B-A produces the solution letter B. The third Mendelssohn fragment in
F minor appears just once and has the unique note letters A, G and F.
Counting once from the end of the sequence produces the solution letter F. The final Mendelssohn fragment in E-flat occurs only once and has the unique note letters G, F and E. Counting once in
reverse order produces the solution letter E. Elgar's ingenious Mendelssohn Cipher forms the initials E.F.B. in the reverse order of the fragments involving a method of counting backwards from a series of unique note letters sourced from those fragments (Version A).
The same solution is possible when including all four note letters on condition that the reverse count begin on the first to last letter in the series (Version B).
Three of the Mendelssohn fragments are enclosed in quotations because they, like the source material, are in the major mode. The fourth fragment appears in minor and lacks quotations ostensibly for that reason. There is another less obvious explanation for why this minor fragment lacks any quotation marks. There are a total of twelve notes enclosed in three sets of quotations, a remarkable coincidence since Ein feste Burg is also three words long and contains a total of twelve letters. Elgar's use of quotations around three of the Mendelssohn quotes serves to signal the number of words and letters in the title of the Covert Principal Theme. Elgar's allusions to various German artists (Mendelssohn, Goethe and Joachim) hint that the missing title's language is in German and three words long. The common title for A Mighty Fortress is Ein feste Burg. The total number of letters in the names Mendelssohn, Goethe, and Joachim is 24, the same in the full title of Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. Twenty four also happens to be the same number of notes in the opening six measures of the Enigma Theme, the very place Elgar encoded his 'dark saying,' the Enigma Cipher.
The Mendelssohn Cipher reveals Elgar encoded the missing initials for the unstated Principal Theme's title, sealing the case for E.F.B as the solution to the mysterious three asterisks. Elgar's three asterisks (***) are an enigma no more. To discover the identity of his secret friend and dedicatee for Variation XIII, read ***.
3 comments:
If Elgar was a devout Christian why would he choose a Lutheran theme?
Among Christian leaders Martin Luther was clearly one of the most musical and inventive, for he composed many hymns to promote the gospel message. He actively encouraged singing in the vernacular at church services, a subject near and dear to the heart of Elgar as shown by his numerous sacred cantatas and oratorios. Luther's most famous hymn - 'Ein feste Burg' - is quoted in the works of the great German masters (e.g., J.S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, and Richard Wagner), composers whom Elgar revered and emulated in his writing.
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