Elgar's Enigma Theme Unmasked

Elgar's Enigmas Exposed

2011-10-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

"But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the wordsof the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there toincrease knowledge"

Daniel 12:4

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."

C.S. Lewis

If I were ever to publish a book about Elgar’s Enigma Variations, itwould go something like this…

Prologue: Whyand What I Will Write

Since the greatest minds over the past 112 years have failed to penetrate the mysteries of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, why would I risk broaching this venerable yet controversial subject? What aremy qualifications? Why do I write, and what do I have to say?

Chapter 1: A Missing Principal Theme

Getting the question right is the answer. The covert Principal Theme is a famous melody, not some abstractconcept, symbol or number. Those who deny the existence of a hidden melodicPrincipal Theme directly contradict the recorded words of the composer bymultiple, unimpeachable sources.

Chapter 2: APremeditated Enigma

The Enigma Variations were not some randomafterthought or capricious constellation of notes scattered haphazardly acrossan orchestral score. Elgar meticulously composed the Variations, and oneobvious implication is that the enigmas contained within were methodically and melodically planned andpremeditated.

Chapter 3: AMissing 'Dark Saying'

In the original 1899 program note Elgar explains the Enigma contains a ‘dark saying,' one that must remain ‘unguessed’.What else could be unguessed except a cipher? Elgar was an expert in secret messages and codes, and a cipher solution is not guessed – it's decoded.

Chapter 4: AMissing Dedicatee

Variation XIII is cryptically dedicated to ahidden friend represented by three mysterious asterisks (***). Standardsolutions to this enigma – Lady Lygon and Helen Weaver – are easily disproven,leaving the question open and unresolved.

Chapter 5: Elgar'sCovert Theme: Einfeste Burg

Evidence is presented proving that the covertPrincipal Theme to the Enigma Variations is Ein feste Burg (AMighty Fortress) by Martin Luther. This historic hymn satisfiesfive criteria prescribed by Elgar to aid in unmasking the correct melodicsolution:

The Enigma theme is a counterpoint to the Principal theme.
The Principal theme is not heard.
The Principal Theme is a melody that can play ‘through andover’ the whole set of Variations including the Enigma theme.
The Principal Theme is famous.
Dora Penny was very familiar with Ein feste Burg as she wasthe daughter of an Anglican missionary and Rector.

Chapter 6: Confirmation: A Musical Checkerboard Cipher

The presumption that Elgar never left a written recordconfirming the melodic solution to the Enigma Variations is refuted by thediscovery of an ingenious musical checkerboard cipher embedded in the first six measuresof the Enigma Theme. This brilliant cipher confirms the name of the Covert Principal Theme and the hidden friend's identity for Variation XIII.

Chapter 7: VariationXIII: The Hidden Friend

Elgar’s secret dedicatee forVariation XIII is not a lady, but a lord – the Lord. His initials are represented bythe Roman numerals for this movement (X = J, III = C). A cipher contained withinthe Mendelssohn fragments makes reference to the Turin Shroud, the burial clothof Christ. The timing of this shroud reference is remarkable becausea very famous photograph of the Turin Shroud was taken just five monthsbefore Elgar began work on the Variations. The photographic negative reveals a miraculous image of a crucified man that many Roman Catholics like Elgarbelieve to be Jesus Christ.

Chapter 8: VariationI C.A.E. with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationI C.A.E., producing 28 melodic conjunctions spread over 13 outof 21 measures, and 140 chordal conjunctions spanning 21 measures. C.A.E. is 21measures in length excluding a two bar bridge in measures 18 and 19. It wasdetermined the Covert Theme is dormant in those two transitional measures,hence the absence of any note matches. Excluding these transitional measures,the Covert Theme plays in all 21 measures or 100% of this movement.

Chapter 9: VariationII H.D.S-P. with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationII H.D.S-P., generating 45 melodic conjunctions in 31 out of 55measures, and 65 chordal conjunctions covering 32 measures. It was determinedthe Covert Theme is dormant in the first ten measures (41-50), and the lastfourteen (83-96). Theses inactive sections are essentially symmetrical becauseboth consist of ten measure segments at the beginning and end of Einfeste Burg with the last dormant section followed by a four barcodetta. Elgar uses this sandwich technique more than once in the Variations asa sort of camouflage to obscure the start and end points of the Covert Theme.Since it is dormant in 24 out of 56 measures, the Covert Theme plays overalmost 43% of the movement.

Chapter 10: VariationIII R.B.T. with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationIII R.B.T., producing 34 melodic conjunctions spread over 24 out of 34measures, and 72 chordal conjunctions spanning 27 measures. As it is dormant in7 out of 34 measures (97, 105, 121-123, and 131-132), the Covert Theme playsover approximately 79% of the movement.

Chapter 11: VariationIV W.M.B. with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationIV W.M.B., generating 26 melodic conjunctions dispersed over 28 of 32measures, and 113 chordal conjunctions covering 28 measures. Since it isdormant in 4 out of 32 measures (178 through 181), the Covert Theme plays overalmost 88% of the movement.

Chapter 12: Variation V R.P.A. with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationV R.P.A., producing 68 melodic conjunctions spread over 20 out of 24measures, and 166 chordal conjunctions dispersed over 22 measures. Since it isdormant in 2 out of 24 measures (172 and 173), the Covert Theme plays overalmost 92% of the movement.

Chapter 13: Variation VI Ysobel with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationVI Ysobel, generating 39 melodic conjunctions in 17 and 105 chordalconjunctions spanning 21 measures. The Covert Theme plays over allmeasures or 100% of this movement. It is remarkable the cover theme plays overthe entire variation without any dormant measures in the first two movementsdedicated to women (I and VI).

Chapter 14: VariationVII Troyte with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationVII Troyte, producing 75 melodic conjunctions over 39 measures, and 236total note conjunctions spread over 64 measures. Since it is dormant in 8 outof 72 measures (210 through 213, 223 through 225, and 252), the Covert Themeplays over almost 89% of the movement.

Chapter 15: VariationVIII W.N. with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationVIII W.N., generating 60 melodic conjunctions and 159 chordal conjunctionsin 26 out of 27 measures. Since it is dormant in the final measure (307), theCovert Theme plays in just over 96% of the movement. If the final G of Einfeste Burg in measure 307 is tied over to the G major chord in measure308, the case could be made the Covert Theme plays ‘through and over’ theentire movement without any dormant measures. This would present a thirdinstance in which the covert Principal Theme plays over the entire length of amovement dedicated to a woman (I, VI and VIII).

Chapter 16: VariationIX Nimrod with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationIX Nimrod, generating 27 melodic conjunctions spread over 20measures and 150 chordal conjunctions over 36 measures out of a total of 43.Since it is dormant in 13 measures (341, 349-350, 356, 361-364, 368-372), theCovert Theme plays over virtually 70% of the movement.

Chapter 17: VariationX Dorabella with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationX Dorabella, producing 104 melodic conjunctionsspread over 35 measures, and 172 chordal conjunctions over 41 measures out of atotal of 74 measures. Since it is dormant in 33 measures (385, 397-404,415-424, 437-450), the Covert Theme plays just under 58% of the movement. Itis remarkable that in both instances when the Covert Theme concludes onecomplete cycle it is immediately followed by a carefully placed double bar inthe score (measures 414 and 436). The odds of such a coincidence areastronomically low, reinforcing the conclusion Ein feste Burg mustbe Elgar’s missing melody. More importantly, this phenomenon is not isolated toonly one movement.

Chapter 18: VariationXI G.R.S. with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationXI G.R.S., generating 62 melodic conjunctions spread over 28measures, and 241 chordal conjunctions over 33 out of a total of 41 measures.The Covert Theme is dormant in 5 measures (457, 490 – 493) with four of thesefive inactive measures consisting of a codetta at the end of the movement.Consequently there are shared melody notes in 28 out of 35 active measures, or80% of the movement when Ein feste Burg plays. There arematching notes dispersed over 33 of 35 active measures, or 92% of the movementwhen Ein feste Burg plays. When factoring in all measures,matching notes occur in 80 % of the movement.

Chapter 19: VariationXII B.G.N. with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationXII B.G.N., producing 23 melodic conjunctions spread over 23 measures, and100 chordal conjunctions over 23 out of a total of 28 measures. Since it isdormant in five measures (494-495, 515, 520-521), the Covert Theme plays injust over 82% of the movement. Inactive sections are symmetrical insofar astwo consist of two measure segments at the beginning and end of Einfeste Burg, and the third near the middle at measure 515. Thissandwich technique serves to camouflage the start and end points of the covertPrincipal Theme, and is also found in Variation II.

Chapter 20: VariationXIII *** with Einfeste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationXIII Romanza, generating 46 melodic conjunctions in 85measures, and 173 chordal conjunctions over 46 out of a total of 51 measures.The Covert Theme is dormant over 21 quarter note beats dispersed over 8 bars(532-534, 548, 564-566, and 572). Consequently there are matching notes in 46out of 51 active measures or 90% of the movement when Ein feste Burg plays.When factoring all measures, the Covert Theme plays over almost 83 % of thissection. Melodic conjunctions begin in measure 522 and continue through thedouble bar at measure 553 where Ein feste Burg finishes onecomplete cycle. The conclusion of Ein feste Burg precisely atthe double bar is not an isolated coincidence as this pattern also appears inother variations containing double bars such as X.

Chapter 21: VariationXIV E.D.U. with Ein feste Burg

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationXIV E.D.U., generating 204 melodic conjunctions over 85 measures, and 464chordal conjunctions over 148 out of a total of 236 measures. Since it isdormant in 77 bars (598-603, 626-634, 647-652, 671-674, 685-687, 702-703,732-739, and 767-809), the Covert Theme plays in slightly over 67% of thefinal movement. It is significant 55% of dormant measures (41) are found inthe extended ending Elgar added shortly after the 1899 premiere. This suggestsElgar tapered his sophisticated counterpoint to permit greater flexibility inthe treatment and elaboration of the closing material.

Chapter 22: Elgar'sGrand Allusion: Dante's Enigma Forte

There are an astonishing number of parallelsbetween the Enigma Variations and Dante’s Divine Comedy. These connections involve poetry,numerology, symbolism, theology, and even music.

Chapter 23: TheCase for Ein feste Burg

The evidence for Ein feste Burg asthe missingPrinciple Theme to the ‘Enigma’ Variations ismultifaceted, multivalent, and entirely consistent with Elgar’s character andChristian faith. From early youth well into adulthood, Elgar was drawn tocreating counterpoints to famous melodies, and his 'Enigma’ Variations are noexception. Multiple streams of data converge into a mighty river provingElgar’s elusive melody is the same quoted by Buxtehude, Pachelbel, Bach,Mendelssohn, Meyerbeer, Wagner, Liszt, and Raff. The preponderance of theevidence makes – not breaks – the case for Ein feste Burg asElgar’s covert Principal Theme.

Chapter 24: Whyscholars failed to solve Elgar's Enigma Variations

My ability to penetrate the mysteries of Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations was granted by divine providence. Secular academics failed to solve the Variations because they proudly gaze inward foranswers when they should be humbly looking upwards. They have long forgottenthe words of the Psalmist:

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whencecometh my help! My help cometh from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."

Epilogue: Jesus,Elgar and the Violin.....

There are a number of astonishing links between Jesus andthe violin that undoubtedly fueled Elgar’s identification with the 'king of theorchestra.' A survey of these uncanny parallels helped unmask the the identity of the hidden dedicatee to Elgar’s violin concerto.

Soli YahGloria

Six Six-Letter Names and Elgar's 6 x 6 Box Cipher

2011-10-07T04:55:00.000-07:00

“The Enigma I will not explain – it’s ‘dark saying’ must beleft unguessed, and I warnyou that the connexion between the Variations and the Theme is often of theslightest texture; further, through and over the whole set another and largertheme ‘goes’, but is not played…So the principal Theme never appears, even asin some later dramas–e.g., Maeterlinck’s‘L’Intruse’ and ‘Lessept Princesses’–the chiefcharacter is never on the stage.”

Edward Elgar from the 1899program note for the Enigma Variations

There are six names in the Enigma Variations withone remarkable thing in common – each consists of six letters (Table 1.1). Elgar’s initials for Variation XIV (E.D.U.)come from the German spelling of his first name, Eduard, which is one of those six-letter names. In Table 1.1 the missingletters needed to complete Eduard areitalicized. Discounting these three missing letters produces a name grid with33 letters, the numerological equivalent of Elgar’s initials: EE. Including themissing letters yields 36 letters, the same as the opus number for the Variations. The subtitle for Variation XIV is Finale, a title that, like Eduard,is also six letters long. The remaining six-letter names found in the Variationsare Enigma, Ysobel, Troyte, and Nimrod.

Could it be just a coincidence that Elgar supplied within the Variations six names that are each six letters in length? Is it acoincidence the opus number for the Variations is 36, the product of 6 x6? That the word ‘saying’ is six letters in length? Or that the sum of the Roman numerals for movements with six-letter titles, i.e., VI, VII, IX and XIV, is also 36? One coincidence is possible. Two are unlikely. Three ormore point to something calculated and deliberate. Elgar was trying to tell ussomething by using six-letter names in six difference instances interspersedthroughout the Enigma Variations. It is suspected that the reason for this is the close connection between the number six and the key to his enigmatic ‘dark saying’mentioned in the original 1899 program note: A 6x 6 checkerboard cipher. As an aside, the association of the note letters Eand F in the box cipher key is all but sealed by the pairing of the firstletter from Elgar’s initials (E.D.U.) with the first letter from that movement’s subtitle, Finale. These same letters also happen to be the first two in the German acronym for the covert Principal Theme: Ein feste Burg.

Compiling a list inprogram order of the Variations’ six-letter names and titles forms theequivalent of a 6 x 6 checkerboard grid (Table 1.1). More intriguingly, a comparison of Elgar’sbox cipher table with the name grid turns up some remarkable parallels. Forinstance, four letters in the box cipher table are exact matches with those inthe name grid: T, R, E and I. These corresponding letters are highlighted in Table 1.2 with matching cipher cells shownin Table 1.2a.

In addition to four exact letter matches, there are six matchingsolution letters from the cipher table located in adjacent cells within the name grid: S, G, B, S, Fand O. These adjacent matching letters are highlighted in Table 1.3 with matching adjacent cipher cells shown in Table 1.3a.

Besides exact matches and adjacent matching cells, there aretwo matching letters in identical rows as shown Tables 1.4 and 1.4a: N and U.

This leaves only two remaining letters from Elgar’s box cipher unaccountedfor, the duplicate letters S and G located in the sixth and final row. Since bothare duplicates, there are other adjacent matching cells in the namegrid for these letters as shown in Tables 1.3 and 1.3a.

The numerous and intriguing parallels between the name gridand cipher table are not limited to letter matches within identical cells,adjacent cells, or identical rows. There is also the phenomenon of letter clustering in which certain lettersare found grouped together. For example, the letters g and b are in adjacentcells in both the name grid and cipher table. The sixth column of the ciphertable contains the letters e, o and s, and these same three letters are strungtogether diagonally in the name grid. The letters u, f and i are contiguous inboth the name grid and cipher table, and the same holds true for the letters t,r, s and i. These observations are summarized in Tables 1.5 and 1.5a.

The title Ein festeBurg may be assembled from 12 letters in the name grid (Table 1.6), leaving an astonishing array of anagram solutions for the remaining 24: nimayoeloytmrodedardinal.

While the vast majority of these anagrams are sheer nonsense, a rare few stand out. One example is An ordained morality melody, an apt description for Martin Luther's epic hymn, A Mighty Fortress. Another anagram solution is Iy, Edoo, adrn a Martin L melody. The personal pronoun I is rendered phonetically as Iy. Edoo was Alice's pet name for Elgar spelled phonetically in the title of Variation XIV as E.D.U. The word adorn is rendered phonetically as adrn. This alternate anagram may therefore be read as I, Edoo, adorn a Martin L melody. A series of variations is one convincing way to adorn a melody. The phonetic spelling of I as Iy may allude to Elgar's personal identification with the military, specifically as an Imperial Yeoman. Martin L turns up as part of another anagram, this one obtained from Maeterlinck, the only name Elgar mentions in the original 1899 program note for the Variations. The name grid may be viewed as one complete anagram that reads I, Edoo, adorn a Martin L melody–Ein feste Burg. The reader is encouraged to attempt other anagram solutions and share them in the comments section.
The numbers 6 and 24 are intimately linked to Elgar's Enigma Variations. For example, the complete six word title in German for the covert Principal Theme is 24 letters long: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. A similar pattern exists with the Enigma Theme as there are 24 melody notes in the first six measures. These first six measures are cordoned off by an oddly placed double bar containing Elgar's 'dark saying' in the form of an ingenious 6 x 6 musical checkerboard cipher. In conclusion, a careful consideration of the parallels between Elgar's box cipher table and the name grid provides powerful circumstantial evidence that he deliberately used six six-letter names within the Variations to hint at the nature and construction of his musical cipher.

Soli Yah Gloria

Elgar’s Diamond Jubilee

2011-09-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

Elgar’s Variations are my Everest,

Elevating song to the starryheights,

Lasting music by one of England’s best,

Guarded by ciphers, a trove of insights,

A labyrinth of dark enigmasunguessed,

Rousing strains of love’slabors lost, now found,
Solved by one willing to endure the test;
Jesus spoke in 'dark sayings' to confound,

Unveiling truth not to therich and wise,

But rather to fools, thepoor, and the lame,

In music Elgar mimics that disguise,

Lifting up in secret hisSavior’s name,

Enduring to the end he ranhis race,

Emboldened by seeingChrist’s Holy Face.

Robert Wayne Padgett

My fiftieth post is in celebration of the fact this blog is on the verge of a new milestone: 50,000 page views. This number is understated as some of my posts range between ten to forty pages in length, yet one view is counted only as a single page. A more conservative estimate of actual page views is ten to fifteen times greater, or upwards of 750,000 page views. Considering the subject is something as esoteric as a British symphony by Edward Elgar, this is by no means a small feat. A Google search of ‘Elgar enigma solution’ lists my blog as the number one search result, beating out popular sites like Wikipedia and Answers.com. This favorable condition has been the case for over six months, so I must be onto something.

On the third ofFebruary 2009 I was fortunate enough to discover the covert Principal Theme to Elgar’s‘Enigma’ Variations:Ein feste Burg by Martin Luther. This extraordinaryevent took place in my hometown of Pacific Groveprecisely on the bicentennial of Felix Mendelssohn’sbirth, something I was blissfully unaware of at the time. It was also 110 yearsafter the completion of the Variations in February 1899, and 75 years followingElgar’s death in February 1934. The passage of 75 years after an event is knownin the

United States

as a Diamond Jubilee. In commemoration of this discovery I composed an acrostic sonnet that spells E ELGAR'S JUBILEE. I chose a sonnet because it has fourteen lines, and similarly, the Enigma Variations has fourteen variations.

The creditfor this marvelous discovery belongs to my heavenlyFather who graciously answered my fervent prayer, blessing me with the wisdomand endurance needed to surmount the seemingly insurmountable. As this was Hisgift, I have not sought to profit from it in any way. On the contrary, I preferto emulate Elgar’s excellent example, for the Variations were his first major noncommissioned work. I seek no rewardin this lifetime, but prefer to collect my treasurein the next. I suspect Elgar’s motivations in 1898-99 were similar, preferringto follow the greatcommission rather than toil for one from a publisher hungry for trifles rather than triumphs. Jesus told his followers to do their good works in secret to assure they are not recognized and rewarded by the world, but rather by our heavenly Father.

My prolongedstudy of the Enigma Variations has produced a number of fascinating finds, andsome of the more notable are described below:

1. Elgar’sCovert Theme: Ein feste Burg

2. Elgar’sEnigma Theme and the German Sixth

3. Elgar's'Dark Saying': A Musical Checkerboard Cipher

4. ***stands for F.A.E.

5. F.A.E.and the initials for A Mighty Fortress

6. Maeterlinck,Luther, and Mendelssohn

7. VariationIX Nimrod with Ein feste Burg

8. VariationXIII and Elgar’s Hidden Friend

9. Elgar’sEnigma Theme, Pi and C

10. Linksbetween the 'Enigma' Variations and the Turin Shroud

11. Elgar'sGrand Allusion: Dante's "Enigma Forte"

12. TheCase for Ein feste Burg

13. Jesus,Elgar and the Violin…..

Why was I chosen, of allpeople, to make these unprecedented discoveries? I never attended conservatory,but then neither did Elgar. On closer analysis, a comparison of Elgar’s life historywith my own produces a lengthy list of similar life experiences:

Theson of a musician father who “who hated all religions”[1]
Theson of a devout Christian mother who taught him to revere God and the arts
Thefourth child born to his parents
Ahusband and father
AChristian
Aconcert violinist
Apiano accompanist
Aninstructor of violin, viola and piano
Aviolin student of a respected teacher
A Self-taught composer
An enthusiast for golfing, kite flying,bicycling, and experimenting in a home laboratory
A lawstudent in his youth
Employedfor a few years in an asylum as a musician
Planning toattend conservatory but could not afford to do so
An ardentadmirer of Bach, Mendelssohn and Wagner
A NativeEnglish speaker
Able to read, write and speak German
An awardwinning composer
Consideredan outsider because of his faith, profession and class
Suspiciousof career academics
Fascinatedby puns, anagrams, and cryptograms

These similar life experiences have undoubtedly helped in my quest for answers. The scripturesays, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.” In my casethe Lord could not have chosen a more foolish messenger from the perspective ofsecular academia. In their eyes I am a dithering fool, and they have told me so in nouncertain terms. The scripture also assures us that “whatever is hidden is meant tobe disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into theopen.”[2] Nomatter how hard the world strives to hide the truth, it eventually gets out. Inthe case of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, the waiting took 110 years, and now theanswers are finally here.

Soli Deo Gloria

[1] McVeagh,D. (2007), Elgar the Music Maker. Rochester, New York: Boydell Press, p 57.

[2] Mark4:22 NIV

C.A.E, *** and F.A.E.

2011-09-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

Jesus heals the blind beggar

"They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see.

They have ears, but cannot hear,

noses, but cannot smell."

Psalm115:5-6

Elgar dedicates Variation I of the ‘Enigma’ Variations to his wife (Caroline Alice Elgar)using her initials (C.A.E.) as the title for this poignant movement.Remarkably, two of her initials are exact sequential matches for those secretlyenciphered in VariationXIII: F.A.E. More intriguing still is the fact these hidden initials (***)are enciphered by musical fragments that sonically portray the sea, thephonetic equivalent of Alice’sfirst initial – C. It would appear that Elgar hinted at a connection between the letters A.E.and the sea fragments in Variation XIII by means of his wife’s initials. These musical fragments are drawn from a symphonicwork by Felix Mendelssohn, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage (Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt),and are quoted in the keys of A-flat major, F minor, and E-flat major.

In the orchestral score three of the four Mendelssohn fragments are enclosedwithin quotations, and are performed on clarinet. Two of these quotations are in A-flat major and begin on the major third of hat key, C, as in the phonetic equivalent of sea.

Coincidence? Definitely not. It is deeply symbolic that the circular bell of the clarinetclosely resembles the letter C. It is hardly coincidence that Elgar would use an instrument whosename begins with the letter C to capture the ocean’s deathly stillness soominously described in the poetry of Goethe.

Clarinet Bell

The connection to theletter C ventures beyond Elgar’s symbolic use of the clarinet to begin two ofthe Mendelssohn fragments on C, the major third of the A-flat major scale. Thetwo A-flat major quotations are buoyed by an accompaniment figure provided bythe violas and cellos. In an interesting twist, both instruments have C-boutsand C strings.

C bouts

The sound of a passing steamship's engine is deftlyportrayed by a timpani roll on C with coins placed near the edgeof the rim. Notice that coin begins with the letter c, and thesecret friend of Variation XIII was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, i.e., coins. The sea picture isintimately linked to Jesus as he comparedhis death to the plight of Jonah who spent three days in the bellyof a whale. What happened when Jonah was cast into the raging sea and swallowedby the great fish? The storm subsided and the waters became calm.In Variation XIII Elgar makes this theological allusion by quoting Mendelssohnfragments that portray a calm sea. Elgar was also fond of quoting scripture,particularly in his many sacred oratorios.

The accompaniment figuremimics the palindromic rhythm of the Enigma Theme, alluding to the presenceof a cipher. Unlike the Enigma cipher marked off by double bar lines, thisone is identified by double apostrophes in the form of quotation marks. Thecipher solution points to the burial cloth of Elgar's hidden friend, the Turin Shroud. Onecombination of the unique letters from the initials C.A.E. and F.A.E. spellsthe word FACE, a subtle reference to the Catholic devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus. Thesedevotions were first approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1895. It is conceivable thatthe number thirteen and capital letter L to identify Variation XIII may alludeto this pope and these devotions. Elgar did not begin work on the Variationsuntil 1898, five months after Secondo Pia took his famous photographic negativeof the Turin Shroud. That picture became an international sensation in thesecular and Catholic press, so Elgar was aware of this incredibly discovery inthe months immediately preceding the Variations. The subtitle for VariationXIII, Romanza, is easilyidentified with Elgar's Roman Catholic faith.

The notes forming the marine accompaniment for the A-flat major Mendelssohn quotations are A-flat, C, and E-flat. Sound familiar? They should be, for they are theinitials for Elgar’s wife: C.A.E. This observation should decisively extinguishany speculative claims regarding Elgar’s alleged longing for Helen Weaver or someother long lost love interest. Among the Mendelssohn fragments, Elgar onlyquotes the A-flat major fragment twice. This is revealing on one level becauseC.A.E. is the second movement of the Enigma Variations. Whywould Elgar allude to his wife in a Variation secretly dedicated to Jesus? Onelikely explanation involves his Christian viewof marriage that sees the unionbetween a husband and wife as ordained by God, and symbolizing the union ofChrist and the Church. An another level, Elgar’s use of the A-flat major key forthe Mendelssohn fragments places extra emphasis on A-flat, or A tone. Could thisbe a musical reference to the word atone, as in atonement, one of the few theological terms coined in the English language? It wouldcertainly be a fitting gesture in a movement dedicated to Christ. Interestingly, the Christian symbol for marriage somewhat resembles a treble clef, the same used for the clarinet.

Christian Symbol for Marriage

Treble Clef

Jesus began his ministry at the Wedding Feast at Cana bymiraculously turning water into wine. The word Cana starts with the letter C, just like Christian, Catholic, Christ, church, crucified,Calvary and cipher. In another miracleinvolving water, Jesus calmed a ragingsea, prompting his disciples to exclaim, "What kind of man is this?Even the winds and the waves obey him!" In yet another miracle involvingwater, Jesus walked on thesea of Galilee. Other notable connections to the letter C within theEnigma Variations are discussed in the following posts:

1. Elgar'sEnigma Theme, Pi and C

2. Elgar'sEnigma Fish: Pi ~ C

Jesus calms the sea

Soli Yah Gloria

Maeterlinck, Luther, and Mendelssohn

2011-09-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

“It is true that I have sketched for their amusement andmine, the idiosyncrasies of fourteen of my friends, not necessarily musicians;but this is a personal matter, and need not have been mentioned publicly. TheVariations should stand simply as a ‘piece’ of music. The Enigma I will notexplain – it’s ‘dark saying’ must be left unguessed,and I warn you that the connexion between the Variations and the Theme is oftenof the slightest texture; further, through and over the whole set another andlarger theme ‘goes’, but is not played…So the principal Theme never appears,even as in some later dramas – e.g., Maeterlinck’s ‘L’Intruse’ and ‘Lessept Princesses’ – the chiefcharacter is never on the stage.”

Edward Elgar from the 1899program note for the Enigma Variations

"I had the good fortune to be thrown among an unsortedcollection of old books. There were books of all kinds, and all distinguishedby the characteristic that they were for the most part incomplete. I busiedmyself for days and weeks arranging them. I picked out the theological books,of which there were a great many, and put them on one side. Then I made a placefor the Elizabethan dramatists, the chronicles including Barker’s andHollinshed’s, besides a tolerable collection of old poets and translations of Voltaire and allsorts of things up to the eighteenth century. Then I began to read. I used toget up at four or five o’clock in the summer and read – every availableopportunity found me reading. I read till dark. I finished reading every one ofthose books – including the theology. The result of that reading has been that people tell me that I know more of the life up to theeighteenth century than I do of my own time, and it is probably true."

EdwardElgar from a1904 interview for The Strand Magazine

In the original program note for the ‘Enigma’ Variations,Elgar mentions only one person by name: Maeterlinck. For asymphonic work dedicated to his friends pictured within, Elgar could have easilymentioned the names of any of a dozen or so friends. Instead, he does somethingunconventional – citing the name of a contemporary dramatic writer whose worksare in French instead of English. For someone whose literary appetite dined almost exclusively on pre-nineteenthcentury literature and theology, Elgar's reference to Maeterlinckis oddly out of place. For this very reason it is worthy of more rigorousanalysis and study. Why? Because Elgar routinely entertained himself with ciphers and anagrams, and the name Maeterlinck is rich with cryptographic potential.

Of all people why would Elgar mention Maeterlinck? Thereare some unusual correlations between Maeterlinck and Martin Luther. First,there are four matching letters in identical positions (M, A, T and L). Second,there are three matching equidistant letters (R, I and N). Third, The firstnames both begin with the letter M.

Recognizing Elgar’s lifelong penchant for anagrams, Maeterlinck was analyzed for possible anagramsthat could credibly connect it to Martin Luther. This resulted in the discoveryof twoanagrams that draw specificattention to ‘Martin L’ and suggest that Elgar copied him.

1. CEEK MARTIN L – Seek Martin L(uther)

2. C EE K MARTIN L – See E(dward) E(lgar)copy Martin L(uther)

Maeterlinck consists ofeleven letters, three syllables, and begins with the letter M. None of thenames for Elgar’s friends ‘pictured within’ the Variations satisfy all three ofthese criteria. However, there is one name connected to musical fragmentsquoted in VariationXIII that does: Mendelssohn. Incredibly, the names Maeterlinck and Mendelssohn both consist of 11 letters, threesyllables, and start with the letter M.

The possibility of this being a coincidence is highlyimprobable. Both names are of famous artists from continental Europe that exhibit characteristics associated with Germanic spellings. Moreover, both havematching letters in the first and fifth positions (M and E), and two matchingequidistant letters (E and L). The matching letters in the first and fifth positionspresent an interesting parallel since there are fifteen movements in the Enigma Variations.The two matching E’s suggest Elgar’s initials, and the same could be said ofthe matching letter M’s as they resemble two E’s face down. Is this Elgar’s wayof initialing a cryptographic connection between thenames Maeterlinck and Mendelssohn?The equidistant letters again suggest that Elgar initialed this cipher, drawing special attention to Variation XIII with the double L’s. Although he originally identified Variation XIII with a solitary capital L, Elgar later addeda second L along with a letter M. The subtle message is the cipher key may be found in Variation XIII, or more precisely, keys. Were the extra letters 'ML' the initials for Martin Luther?

The first of the two anagrams invites one to ‘SeekMartin L.’ To seek means to resort to, go in search of,look for, ask for, and try to discover. The second anagram directs one toobserve, to ‘See EE copyMartin L.’ To see in this context means to perceive bythe eye, come to know, or visualize. However, the only composer Elgarostensibly copies in the ‘Enigma’ Variations is Mendelssohn. In Variation XIIIhe inserts fourfragments from Mendelssohn’s concert overture Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage. It is remarkable that the word Sea is the phonetic equivalent of theletter C, as in the word clue.The prominence of this letter in the Maeterlinck anagrams draws specialattention to Elgar’s unconventional use of another composer’s music. Indeed,Elgar quotes Mendelssohn in his first extended symphonic work precisely becauseMendelssohn quotes the covert Principal Theme in his first major symphony, the Reformation Symphony.The number of Mendelssohn fragments – four – pinpoints the very movement inwhich Mendelssohn quotes Einfeste Burg followed by aseries of variations.

This analysis reveals some highly credibleconnections between Elgar’s reference to Maeterlinck in the 1899 program note,the quotations of Mendelssohn in Variation XIII, and the composer of Ein feste Burg, Martin Luther. More importantly, these correlations reinforce the case for Ein feste Burg as the covert Principal Theme to Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations.

Soli Yah Gloria

Elgar’s Program Anagram: Maeterlinck

2011-09-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

“So the principal Theme never appears, even as in some later dramas – e.g., Maeterlinck’s ‘L’Intruse’ and ‘Les sept Princesses’ – the chief character is never on the stage.”

Edward Elgar from the 1899 program note for the Enigma Variations

Elgar routinely entertained himself with ciphers and anagrams, so it is remarkable his reference to Maeterlinck in the original program for the Enigma Variations presents a number of unusual parallels with the name Martin Luther. First, the letters in the first, second, fourth and seventh letters of each are exact matches (M, A, T, and L). Second, there are three equidistant letter matches (R, I, and N). Finally, when including the possessive s with Maeterlinck as it appears in the program note, the number of letters is identical.

Do these intriguing parallels suggest the presence of something more, a cipher? Elgar was an acknowledged expert in cryptography, so it is not unreasonable to suspect he deliberately inserted the Maeterlinck reference as a subtle link to the covert Principal Theme and its composer. Is there some plausible connection between the Maeterlinck and Martin Luther?
The answer is yes.

One anagram of MAETERLINCK is CEEK MARTIN L. Elgar is known to have used c as a substitute for s. For instance, he spelled the word score as ckor, skore, skorh, skowre, skourrghe, csquorr, skourghowore and ssczowoughohr.[1] Consequently the anagram CEEK MARTIN L may be read as Seek Martin L. By means of such an anagram, Elgar cleverly invites the audience to seek out Martin Luther, a composer whose most renowned work is Ein feste Burg.

Another anagram derived from MAETERLINCK is a slight variant of the first – C EE K MARTIN L. Before providing an interpretation, let us review some relevant information. The letter C is the phonetic equivalent of the word see. Edward Elgar routinely signed his letters with the initials EE, and used the letter K to indicate that a copy of a score had been made. Based on this information, C EE K MARTIN L may be read as See Edward Elgar copy Martin Luther. This rendering alludes to Elgar's use of Ein feste Burg as the covert Principal Theme to the Enigma Variations, a form of musical borrowing in which he essentially copies Martin Luther's most famous hymn by means of counterpoint.

Some may object that too much is being read into Elgar’s literary reference to Maeterlinck within the context of the 1899 program note for the Enigma Variations. The reality is that just the opposite is historically the case, that too little has been read in Elgar's carefully worded program note beyond the ordinary, surface meaning. Elgar reveled in word play, and this example is no exception. The word program rhymes with anagram. The name Maeterlinck sounds like the words meter and link paired together. Meter is a musical term, and the combination with the word link may be viewed as a cryptic hint about some musical link to the covert Principal Theme. Program, anagram, Maeterlinck, meter, link – this is just the sort of word play that would fire Elgar's inventive imagination. To understand and appreciate Elgar and his music (particularly the Enigma Variations), it is essential to venture beyond shallow superficiality to perceive a deeper, hidden meaning. To do so is the essence of cryptography, and Elgar.

Soli Yah Gloria

[1] Cited from an unpublished paper by Eric Sams entitled Elgar’s Cipher Table (1970-71).

The Enigma Theme’s Main Character ‘Off-Stage’

2011-09-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

“So the principal Theme never appears, evenas in some later dramas – e.g., Maeterlinck’s ‘L’Intruse’ and ‘Les septPrincesses’ – the chief character is never on the stage.”

Edward Elgar fromthe 1899program note for the 'Enigma' Variations

In describing the ‘Enigma’ Variationsfor the 1899 premiere, Elgar likens the missing principal Theme to a maindramatic character who never appears on stage. To frame it another way, the main character remainsin the dark ‘off-stage’, hidden from view. It is incredibly revealing Elgar’s1903 sacred oratorio The Kingdom presentsthe trial and crucifixion of Jesus ‘offstage’. Elgar’s use of this dramaticdevice is rich with symbolism as there was darknessover the land resulting from an eclipse during the crucifixion. It also alludesto the identity of Elgar’s hidden friend, the subject of his haunting EnigmaTheme and ‘dark saying’, a musicalbox cipher that reveals both the name of the unstatedPrincipal Theme and the secret friend of Variation XIII.

Research confirms the hiddenfriend and dedicatee of Variation XIII is Jesus. The evidence is bothoverwhelmingly obvious yet cleverly concealed. Variation XIII was originally designated with a capital L, a letter associated with various titles for Jesus as the Lord of Lords, Light of the World, and Light of Life. There are a number of compelling linguistic associations between the letter L and Jesus that likely prompted Elgar to use it as a cryptic reference. For one, the letter L is the phonetic equivalent of the Hebrew word for Lord and God (El), and the first two letters in Elgar's last name. In Greek the letter L is known as Lambda, a title that may be interpreted as an oblique reference to one of the titles for Christ as the Lamb of God with the final two letters (da) forming the reverse acronym of the equivalent Latin title Agnus Dei. In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, L is represented by a reclining lion or sphinx. In Elgar's Roman Catholic tradition, one of the titles for Jesus is the Lion of Judah. As an aside, it is intriguing that in a letter from November 1899 Jaeger describes Elgar as a sphinx, a mythical creature infamous for posing insoluble riddles.
It is fascinating the word crucifixion contains exactly one X and three I’s, the same Romannumerals associated with Elgar’s most enigmatic variation. These Roman numeralsare the numerological cipher key to the initials for Elgar’s hidden friend. The Roman numeral X represents the number 10. The tenth letter in the alphabet is J. Thethree Roman numeral I’s stand for the number 3. The third letter is C. Together the Romannumerals XIII form the initials ‘JC’. They may also figuratively be read torepresent a cross and three nails. Even the lyrics of the covert PrincipalTheme – Ein feste Burg –mention Elgar’shidden friend by name. More tantalizingly, an eliminationcipher embedded within Variation XIII refers to the burial cloth ofJesus – the Turin Shroud.

In May 1898 the amateur photographer Secondo Pia made historywhen his photographic negative of the Turin Shroud revealed a moving, life-likeimage of the crucified Jesus. What makes Pia’s discovery even more symbolicallyrelevant to this inquiry is that it was made in a dark room as he was developing a photographic plate. Could this be oneelement of Elgar’s elaborate ‘dark saying’? The evidence certainly suggests so.The riveting revelation of Pia’s photographic negative of the Turin Shroud galvanizedthe Roman Catholic community and mesmerized the world press during the five monthspreceding the genesis of the Enigma Variations in October 1898. The amazingimage of Jesus on the Turin Shroud was openly hidden in plain view, yet couldonly be fully seen in the form of a photographic negative. Another compelling reason why Elgar used the letter L as a reference to Christ is the Turin Shroud contains four distinctive L-shaped burn hole patterns. As I explain here, the Turin Shroud was a tremendous source of inspiration for Elgar when he composed the Enigma Variations.
Jesus, the teacher whospoke in parables or ‘dark sayings’, is ultimately the main characterof Elgar’s Enigma Variations and subject of the covert Principal Theme who only appears 'off-stage'.

SoliYah Gloria

The Case for "Ein feste Burg"

2011-09-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

"If you want to change the world, pick upyour pen and write."

"Nextto the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in theworld."

Martin Luther

The evidence that Ein feste Burg is the missingPrinciple Theme to the ‘Enigma’ Variationsis multifaceted, multivalent, and entirely consistent with Elgar’s characterand Christian faith. From early youth well into adulthood, Elgar was drawn to creating counterpoints to famous melodies, and his 'Enigma’ Variations are noexception. Multiple streams of data converge into a mighty river proving Elgar’s elusive melody is the same quoted by Buxtehude,Pachelbel, Bach, Mendelssohn, Meyerbeer, Wagner, Liszt, and Raff. The preponderance of the evidence makes – not breaks – the case for Ein feste Burg as Elgar’s covert Principal Theme.

Full Coverage of the Enigma Theme

Ein feste Burg is the onlytheme ever proposed toconvincingly play one full cycle ‘through and over’ the entireseventeen measures of the Enigma Theme. This feat is unprecedented in thehistory of Elgar scholarship. No other melody put forward over the past centurysurmounts this seemingly impossible hurdle. Einfeste Burg also satisfiesfive criteria prescribed by Elgar necessary for diagnosing the right melodicsolution:

1. The Enigma theme is acounterpoint to the Principal theme.

2. The Principal theme isnot heard.

3. The Principal Theme isa melody that can play ‘through and over’ the whole set of Variations includingthe Enigma theme.

4. The Principal Theme isfamous.

5. Dora Penny was veryfamiliar with Ein feste Burg as shewas the daughter of an Anglican missionary and Rector.

'Through and over'

Consistent with Elgar's remarks in the original 1899 program note stating the hidden theme plays 'through and over' the set of variations, Ein feste Burg plays over eachof the fourteen Variations. Table 1.1. summarizes how Ein feste Burgplays ‘through and over’ 591 of 780 measures, or virtually 76 % of the work. A detailedmapping of the Covert Theme over the Variations produces 854 melodic conjunctions, and 1754 chordal conjunctions. A melodic conjunction is defined as ashared note between the melody lines of the variation and Covert Theme. A chordal conjunction is defined as anyshared between the Covert Theme and the variation’s piano reduction excludingthe melody line. In total there are 2608note matches between the Variations and the Covert Theme dispersed over 591measures.

Table 1.1
Note Conjunctions between Ein Feste Burg and the ‘Enigma’ Variations
Variations	Note Conjunctions			Measures
Variations	Melodic	Chordal	All	Active	Dormant	All
Theme	13	35	48	17	0	17
I C.A.E.	28	112	140	21	2	23
II H.D.S-P.	45	20	65	32	24	56
III R.B.T.	34	38	72	27	7	34
IV W.M.B.	26	87	113	28	4	32
V R.P.A.	68	98	166	22	2	24
VI Ysobel	39	66	105	21	0	21
VII Troyte	75	161	236	64	8	72
VIII W.N.	60	99	159	25	1	26
IX Nimrod	27	123	150	30	13	43
X Dorabella	104	68	172	41	33	74
XI G.R.S.	62	179	241	36	5	41
XII B.G.N.	23	77	100	23	5	28
XIII ***	46	127	173	43	8	51
XIV E.D.U.	204	464	668	159	77	236
Totals	854	1754	2608	589	189	778
Percentages	33 %	67 %	100 %	76 %	24 %	100 %

Variation I

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationI C.A.E., producing 28 melodicconjunctions spread over 13 out of 21 measures, and 140 chordal conjunctionsspanning 21 measures. C.A.E. is 21 measures in length excluding a two barbridge in measures 18 and 19. It was determined the Covert Theme is dormant in thosetwo transitional measures, hence the absence of any note matches. Excludingthese transitional measures, the Covert Theme plays in all 21 measures or 100 %of this movement.

Variation II

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationII H.D.S-P., generating 45melodic conjunctions in 31 out of 55 measures, and 65 chordal conjunctions covering32 measures. It was determined the Covert Theme is dormant in the first tenmeasures (41-50), and the last fourteen (83-96). Theses inactive sections are essentiallysymmetrical because both consist of ten measure segments at the beginning andend of Ein feste Burg with the lastdormant section followed by a four bar codetta. Elgar uses this sandwichtechnique more than once in the Variations as a sort of camouflage to obscure thestart and end points of the Covert Theme. Since it is dormant in 24 out of 56measures, the Covert Theme plays over almost 43% of the movement.

Variation III

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationIII R.B.T., producing 34 melodic conjunctions spread over 24 out of 34measures, and 72 chordal conjunctions spanning 27 measures. Since it is dormantin 7 out of 34 measures (97, 105, 121-123, and 131-132), the Covert Theme playsover approximately 79 % of the movement.

Variation IV

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationIV W.M.B., generating 26 melodic conjunctions dispersed over 28 of 32measures, and 113 chordal conjunctions covering 28 measures. Since it is dormantin 4 out of 32 measures (178 through 181), the Covert Theme plays over almost88 % of the movement.

Variation V

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationV R.P.A., producing 68 melodic conjunctions spread over 20 out of 24measures, and 166 chordal conjunctions dispersed over 22 measures. Since it is dormantin 2 out of 24 measures (172 and 173), the Covert Theme plays over almost 92 %of the movement.

Variation VI

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationVI Ysobel, generating 39 melodic conjunctions in 17 and 105 chordalconjunctions spanning 21 measures. The Covert Theme plays over all measures or 100 % of this movement. It isremarkable the cover theme plays over the entire variation without any dormantmeasures in the first two movements dedicated to women (I and VI).

Variation VII

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationVII Troyte, producing 75 melodic conjunctions over 39 measures, and 236 totalnote conjunctions spread over 64 measures. Since it is dormant in 8 out of 72measures (210 through 213, 223 through 225, and 252), the Covert Theme plays overalmost 89 % of the movement.

Variation VIII

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationVIII W.N., generating 60 melodic conjunctions and 159 chordal conjunctionsin 26 out of 27 measures. Since it is dormant in the final measure (307), theCovert Theme plays in just over 96% of the movement. If the final G of Ein feste Burg in measure 307 is tiedover to the G major chord in measure 308, the case could be made the CovertTheme plays ‘through and over’ the entire movement without any dormant measures.This would present a third instance in which the covert Principal Theme playsover the entire length of a movement dedicated to a woman (I, VI and VIII).

Variation IX

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationIX Nimrod, generating 27 melodicconjunctions spread over 20 measures and 150 chordal conjunctions over 36measures out of a total of 43. Since it is dormant in 13 measures (341,349-350, 356, 361-364, 368-372), the Covert Theme plays over virtually 70 % ofthe movement.

Variation X

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationX Dorabella, producing 104 melodic conjunctions spread over 35measures, and 172 chordal conjunctions over 41 measures out of a total of 74 measures.Since it is dormant in 33 measures (385, 397-404, 415-424, 437-450), the CovertTheme plays just under 58 % of the movement. It is remarkable that in both instanceswhen the Covert Theme concludes one complete cycle it is immediately followedby a carefully placed double bar in the score (measures 414 and 436). The oddsof such a coincidence are astronomically low, reinforcing the conclusion Ein feste Burg must be Elgar’s missingmelody. More importantly, this phenomenon is not isolated to just one movement.

Dorabella’s ‘inner voice’

Concerning Variation X Elgar wrote the “inner sustainedphrases at first on the viola and later on the flute should be noted”. Hisbrief remarks draw attention to the inner melody line, yet give no particularreason why. Following the discovery of the Covert Theme, the reason becomesperfectly clear: Significant portions of Einfeste Burg are quotedverbatim by the inner counter melody. The first occurs in measures 408 through452, and the second in measures 430 through 434. In both cases, the finalcadence of Ein feste Burg is immediately followed mid-measure bya conspicuously placed double barline (414 and 436). No wonder Elgar toldDora that she ‘of all people’ would be the one to guess the correct melodicsolution. Among all the variations, Dorabella most directly quotes a sizable part ofthe Covert Theme in an inner melody line, albeit in an augmented form and atthe end rather than the beginning.

Variation XI

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationXI G.R.S., generating 62 melodicconjunctions spread over 28 measures, and 241 chordal conjunctions over 33 outof a total of 41 measures. The Covert Theme is dormant in 5 measures (457, 490– 493) with four of these five inactive measures consisting of a codetta at theend of the movement. Consequently there are shared melody notes in 28 out of 35active measures, or 80% of the movement when Ein feste Burg plays. There are matching notes dispersed over 33 of35 active measures, or 92 % of the movement when Ein feste Burg plays. When factoring in all measures, matchingnotes occur in 80 % of the movement.

Variation XII

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationXII B.G.N., producing 23 melodic conjunctions spread over 23 measures, and100 chordal conjunctions over 23 out of a total of 28 measures. Since it is dormantin five measures (494-495, 515, 520-521), the Covert Theme plays in just over82 % of the movement. Inactive sections are symmetrical insofar as two consistof two measure segments at the beginning and end of Ein feste Burg, and the third near the middle at measure 515. Thissandwich technique serves to camouflage the start and end points of the covertPrincipal Theme, and is also found in Variation II.

Variation XIII

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationXIII Romanza, generating 46melodic conjunctions in 85 measures, and 173 chordal conjunctions over 46 outof a total of 51 measures. The Covert Theme is dormant over 21 quarter notebeats dispersed over 8 bars (532-534, 548, 564-566, and 572). Consequently thereare matching notes in 46 out of 51 active measures, or 90% of the movement whenEin feste Burg plays. When factoringall measures, the Covert Theme plays over almost 83 % of this section. Melodicconjunctions begin in measure 522 and continue through the double bar atmeasure 553 where Ein feste Burgfinishes one complete cycle. The conclusion of Ein feste Burg precisely at the double bar is not an isolatedcoincidence as this pattern also appears in other variations containing double barssuch as X.

Variation XIV

Ein feste Burg plays ‘through and over’ VariationXIV E.D.U., generating 204 melodic conjunctions in 85 measures, and 464chordal conjunctions over 148 out of a total of 236 measures. Since it isdormant in 77 bars (598-603, 626-634, 647-652, 671-674, 685-687, 702-703,732-739, and 767-809), the Covert Theme plays in slightly over 67 % of thefinal movement. It is significant 55 % of dormant measures (41) are found inthe extended ending Elgar added shortly after the 1899 premiere. This suggestsElgar tapered his sophisticated counterpoint to permit greater flexibility inthe treatment and elaboration of the closing material.

Confirmation: The Enigma Cipher

Elgar’s lifelong fascination with ciphers, wordplay, andanagrams is beyond dispute, so it is unsurprising he gives stealth confirmationof the correct melodic solution by means of an ingenious musicalcheckerboard cipher. This 'dark saying' is embedded within the firstsix measures of the Enigma Theme, and it is no coincidence the word ‘Enigma’ iswritten in pencil directly over the opening measures of the original score. Anoddly placed double bar at the end of measure six marks the conclusion of thismusical cipher. There are twenty four notes in the Enigmatheme’s melody over the first six measures, and likewise thereare twenty four letters in the six wordtitle Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. Six bars, six words, 24 notes,24 letters – what are the odds of these uncanny parallels? It is fascinatingthe number 24, a multiple of 6, is reducible to 6 by adding the integerstogether. The varied references to the number six are not limited to measuresor multiples of notes. The opus number for the Enigma Variations (36) is theproduct of 6 times 6.

Further evidence alluding to the title of the melodicsolution is found within the Enigma cipher's choice of harmony. Elgar beginsmeasure 5 with a distinctive chord known as the GermanSixth, a feature that strongly alludes to the melodic solution’s German titleconsisting of six words.

The cipher employed by Elgar is a box cipher, also known as a Polybius square or checkerboard cipher. A box cipher relies on two data points to encipher a singlesolution letter using a checkerboard grid as a key with solution lettersdispersed among the grid’s cells. The traditional Polybius square consists of a 5 by 5 grid pattern. Variations on this 'very old cypher' include a 6 by 6 grid pattern, and just such a solution grid is suggested by the presence of six different titles and names sprinkled throughout the Enigma Variations (Table 1.2). By stacking these titles and names, a 6 by 6 letter grid is realized.

Elgar's musical checkerboard cipher key is shown below in Table 1.3 with non-solution letters represented by asterisks (*). A careful consideration of the parallelsbetween the 6 x 6 name grid and Elgar's box cipher table provides powerfulcircumstantial evidence he deliberately used six six-letter names withinthe Variations to hint at the nature and construction of his musical cipher.

Two data points identify the intersection of a specificcolumn and row that contain within each cell a plain text solution letter.Elgar’s brilliant display of musical cryptography relies on melody and bassnote pairs to encrypt solution letters, a feat never accomplished before orsince its unique application in the Enigma Theme. The original short scoreof the Enigma Theme lends strong circumstantial evidence for a checkerboardcipher because the melody and bass notes are in black ink while the interveningnotes are in pencil.[1] Elgar’s use of a boxcipher is not without foundation as he bragged about cracking an allegedlyimpregnable checkerboard cipher in his 1905 biography.[2] The cipher appears in the fourth of a series ofarticles published in 1896 by The Pall Mall Gazette called Secretsin Cipher. These articles are now in the possession of the Elgar Birthplace Museum as part ofthe remains of Elgar’s personal library. Of all the papers he discarded andburned shortly after his wife’s death in 1920, why would Elgar retain those articles?Or why would he brag to his first biographer about cracking an insolublecheckerboard cipher, something found just thirteen pages from a revealingsection about the ‘Enigma’ Variations? Were these not clues regarding thenature of his ‘dark saying’?

The solution letters of the first six measures of theEnigma Theme are shown in Table1.4. The Enigma cipher solution is 24 letters in length formingphonetically spelled words in Latin and English that, as an anagram, may berearranged to spell Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. Elgarwas fluent in English and German, and in his youth studied Latin in variousRoman Catholic Schools in addition to attending Latin Mass inadulthood. The phonetic spelling of the name of Elgar's secretfriend for VariationXIII is found in measure 1 – gsus for'Jesus'. The second measure produces grts, a phonetic spelling for the Latin word for thanks, gratias. The combination of the plain text results for measures 1 and 2 of theEnigma cipher is gsus grts (Jesus gratias), the Latin phrase "Thanks be to Jesus."

Richter’s Gift:Longfellow’s Hyperion

Elgar was deeply grateful to the German conductor Hans Richterfor conducting the premiere of the ‘Enigma’ Variations in June 1899. As a tokenof his gratitude, he presented Richter with a copy of Longfellow’sHyperion. In a letteraccompanying the gift, Elgar wrote, “Isend you the little book about which we conversed & from which I, as achild, received my first idea of the great German nations.” Little didRichter realize that the identity of the unstated Principal Theme to the EnigmaVariations is quoted within its pages. When Elgar gave Richter Hyperion, he literally gave away the answer. No wonder Elgar feared the answerwould soon be discovered.

Elgar's Fragmentary Message

There are four Mendelssohn fragments inVariation XIII, each four notes in length. Twelve notes from three of thefragments in enclosed in quotation marks. In contrast, the remaining four arenot in quotations because they, unlike the original source melody, are in theminor mode. Taken together, all four fragments are performed by a sum total ofseven instruments from the woodwind and brass sections with the strings relegatedto playing only an accompaniment figure recapitulating the rhythmic palindromefrom the Enigma Theme. Other than this brooding accompaniment figure,there appears to be absolutely no connection to the original Enigma Theme.

Why would Elgar insert an unrelated musical fragment into not just any variation, but the one with a hidden dedicatee? There is a hidden friend, a hidden theme, and in Variation XIII a hidden message. I reasoned Elgar inserted these four Mendelssohn fragments to serve as a cryptogram that, when properly understood, would help unravel the mystery of the hidden Principal theme.

The quotation marks around three of the four fragments imply that Mendelssohn “quotes” the same source melody in one of his own works. Elgar quotes Mendelssohn to hint at the fact Mendelssohn quotes the covert Principal Theme. Since the Enigma Variations were composed for symphony orchestra, the implication is one of Mendelssohn’s symphonic works quotes the identical missing Principal theme. The twelve notes in quotation marks suggest the number of letters in the theme’s title. The four fragments hint at the number of the movement from Mendelssohn’s symphonic work that states the mystery melody.

Is there a work by Mendelssohn that could conceivably account for each and every one of these clues? The answer is affirmative. The fourth movement of the Reformation Symphony begins with a quotation of Ein feste Burg by the flute, proceeds through a series of variations, and concludes with a rousing, augmented version of the hymn. The parallels are truly striking: Four fragments, a fourth movement consisting of variations, three fragments in quotations, the covert theme's three word title, twelve notes in quotations, and twelve letters in the covert theme's three word title. With these melodic fragments prominently featured in Variation XIII, Elgar covertly suggests the hidden theme's title is in German, three words in length with twelve letters, and is quoted by Mendelssohn. Only one famous melody satisfies these three criteria: Ein feste Burg.

F-A-E and theinitials for A Mighty Fortress

In Variation XIII Elgar uses a musical cryptogram tospell the initials for Joseph Joachim’s romanticmotto Frei aber einsam . The Germanmotto portrayed by the initials F.A.E. means "Free but lonely", ameaning that dovetails precisely with Elgar's comments about the Enigma Themecapturing his "senseof the loneliness of the artist." This motto forms the basis ofa musical cryptogram made famous in a work for violin, the F-A-E Sonata. Elgar was a concert violinist who had aspirations of becoming a famoussoloist like Joachim, but his hopes were dashed due to a lack of instructionduring his formative years. Elgar continued to identifyclosely with the violin, andeven composed a concerto for the instrument. As I explain here, Elgarachieves this cryptographic sleight of hand by his choice of keys for theMendelssohn fragments: F minor, A flat major and E flat major. Variation XIII is the onlymovement lacking any initials or name that can be linked to one of thecomposer's friends. In place of the initials Elgar placed three mysteriousasterisks (***). Basedon my original discovery of the F.A.E.cipher in Variation XIII, theinitials for this romanticized motto fill in those missingletters. More importantly, they pinpoint the identity of the unstatedPrincipal Theme: A MightyFortress. How? By means of Elgar's favorite pastime, cryptography.

More Clues: Elgar's Wordplay

There are stunning examples of Elgar's highly refined senseof wordplay sprinkled throughout the Variations that allude to the coverttheme's title. The six-letter word Enigma is a fascinating choice as thefirst three letters are an anagram for ein (the first word ofthe covert theme's German title), and the last is its English translation (a). The handwriting is not Elgar's,for he directed his German friend August Jaeger topencil in 'Enigma' on the original score. In so doing Elgar subtlyreinforced a sense of that title's German origin.

A second example of Elgar's wordplay is the odd six-letternickname given to Jaeger for Variation IX: Nimrod. Elgarinformed Jaeger of this nickname in a letter dated October 24, 1898, just threedays after beginning work on the Variations. The bookof Genesis describes Nimrod as "a mighty hunter beforethe Lord."This six-word descriptioncontains to sequentially matched words with the covert theme's title (A Mighty Fortressis our God) with the last two words being interchangeable (Lord and God). In the Old Testament Nimrod wasknown as a builder of great fortified cities – fortresses. His reputation for designing and buildingfortresses is so well established that a famous medieval castle on the northernslope of the Golan Heights is knowntoday as Nimrod’s Fortress. By combining two wellknown descriptions of Nimrod as "a mighty hunter" and fortress builder, it is relatively easyto derive the title A MightyFortress. No wonder Elgar thought the hidden theme would quickly bediscovered following the premiere of the Enigma Variations in 1899.

Yet another example of Elgar's wordplay is the capital L heassigned to the earliest sketch of Variation XIII. This letter alludes to thelast name of the covert theme's German composer – Luther. The movement quotes a concertoverture by Mendelssohn, a German composer, inspired by the poetryof Goethe, a German poet. Like Mendelssohn and Goethe,Luther was German and a highly respected composer of both music and prose. Bysubstituting the letter L for G in Goethe, the result is aphonetic spelling for Luther (Loethe). This approach is suggested by thewell established fact Mendelssohn was a deeply religious Lutheran.In Variation XIII Elgar quotes the music of a well known Lutheran, just onestep removed symbolically from quoting the music of Luther himself. Theoriginal language for the title of Mendelssohn's concert overture is in German,just as the original poetry by Goethe It is equally revealing Elgar used theGerman spelling of his name for Variation XIV. The initials E.D.U. are derivedfrom the German spelling of Edward – Eduard. The Teutonic spirit of these references aredifficult to overlook, and serve as critical clues regarding the distinctlyGerman character of the covert theme and its composer.

Enigma Day: A Mighty Coincidence

On October 21, 1898 – the dayhe first played the Enigma Theme for his wife on the piano – Elgar wrote the following about his plans for a ‘Gordon’ Symphony:

’Gordon’ simmereth mighty pleasantly in my (brain) pan &will no doubt boil over one day.

Elgar's use of the word mighty on 'Enigma'day is remarkable when one realizes the covert theme to theEnigma Variations is A Mighty Fortress. Was the appearance of the word mighty in Elgar's correspondence on that pivotal daydue to mere coincidence and nothing more? Or was it something else – a revealing slip ofthe pen? The evidence overwhelmingly favors the latter conclusion over theformer. One coincidence is possible, two are highly unlikely, and three or more shatter the bonds ofchance to announce something premeditated, intentional, and planned. In light of the overwhelming evidence, there can be no doubt Ein feste Burg is the unstated Principal Theme to Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations. The evidence literally sings for itself. Q.E.D.

Soli Yah Gloria

1. London British LibraryAdd. MS 58003, f.2v.

2. Buckley,Robert J. Sir Edward Elgar (1905). New York: KessingerPublishing, Llc, 2009, p. 41.

*** stands for F.A.E.

2011-08-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

"Godcannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is notthere. There is no such thing."

C.S. Lewis

In Variation XIII of the ‘Enigma’ Variations, Elgar quotes Mendelssohn’soverture CalmSea and Prosperous Voyage in the keys of A flat major, F minor, and Eflat major.

These three note letters also appear on the third beat of the firstmeasure of this enigmatic movement, one with three asterisks representing theinitials for one of Elgar’s friends.

Three asterisks, three keys for theMendelssohn fragments, and three notes on the third beat matching those keyletters. What are the odds of such a consistent symmetry? Clearly Elgar wastrying to tell us something, but what exactly?

The keyletters F, A and E are the key to themissing initials represented by threeasterisks in the subtitle, for they are more than just a comingling of random letters.They form an anagram of F.A.E, the acronym for Joseph Joachim’sromantic motto Frei abereinsam (Free but lonely). Elgar once wrotethe Enigma Theme expressed his “senseof the lonelinessof the artist,” a description that cleverly dovetails with Joachim’s personalmotto. Even the correct ordering of those key letters is implied by thesubtitle of the next and last movement, the Finale.

As one of the most celebrated violinistsof the nineteenth century, Joachim was a perennial favorite of Queen Victoria, and founding presidentof the Oxford& Cambridge Musical Club in 1899. The ‘Enigma’ Variations wereperformed in 1899 under the direction of another member of that same club, Hans Richter,a disciple of Wagner.In his youth Elgar dreamed of becoming a great violinist, studying briefly withAdolph Pollitzer, astudent of Jean-DelphinAlard who once owned the famous 1716 ‘Messiah’Stradivarius. In 1891 Joachim played the ‘Messiah’ Strad, and remarked on ‘it’scombined sweetness and grandeur’. Elgar’s cryptographic allusion to Joachimis bolstered by the fact he was a close personal friend of Elgar’s ‘ideal’composer, RobertSchumann. It should be noted that one of Elgar’s other favorite composers was Wagner. It isstriking that like Elgar, Joachim, Pollitzer, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Wagner and Richterwere all fluent in the German language.

The F-A-E Sonata was composedcollaboratively by RobertSchumann, Johannes Brahms, andSchumann’s pupil, Albert Dietrich, inhonor of their mutual friend Joseph Joachim. It is based on a musicalcryptogram using the notes F, A and E to represent the initials for Joachim’shighly romanticized motto. Dietrich composed the first movement in Sonata form,Schumann an Intermezzo for the second, Brahms a Scherzo for the third, and Schumann a Finale for the fourth. When Joachim firstperformed the work, he was playfully challenged to guess the identity of thefriend who composed each movement. Could this be the kernel of inspiration forElgar’s symphonic treatment of his own friends, imagining them as composers andhow they would interpret a musical cryptogram or enigma? The connection withJoachim’s motto embedded in Variation XIII more than suggests that is indeedthe case. But there is more to this puzzle, something numerological in nature.

The titles for Schumann’s contributions tothe F-A-E Sonata match those for two sectionsof the Enigma Variations: Variations X (Intermezzo) and XIV(Finale). This is hardly a coincidence, for the sum of these Roman numeralsis 24, the precise number of notes in the first six measures of the Enigma Theme’s melody that serves as the basis for a musical checkerboard cipher. It is also the same number ofletters in Einfeste Burg ist unser Gott, the six word title for the missing Principal Theme. Schumann’s contributions to the F-A-E Sonataare the second and fourth movements, another spelling of the number 24. Schumann planned to compose a massive oratorio about the life of Martin Luther that would climax with Ein feste Burg, but he passed away before this grand project could be realized.

Elgar, Joachim, Schumann, Wagner, Brahms,Dietrich, Richter and Mendelssohn were accomplished musicians who were fluent in German.Not coincidentally, the original language for the covert Principal Theme’stitle is also in German, just as is the case with Joachim’s motto and the titleof Mendelssohn concert overture quoted in Variation XIII – Meeresstilleund gückliche Fahrt. Elgar’s use of the German spelling of his name for theinitials in VariationXIV (E.D.U. is derived from Eduard) deliberately hints at the importanceof the German language to resolving his enigmas. Elgar’s prominent use of the Germansixth in the Enigma Theme further suggests the answer consists of six wordsin German: Ein feste Burg ist unserGott by MartinLuther. This famous theme is quoted in the works of Bach, Mendelssohn,Meyerbeer, Wagner, Raff, and Liszt.Some of the greatest composers of the German school quote this mighty melody,and Elgar was an ardent disciple of that proud Germanic tradition. As a devoutRoman Catholic, however, Elgar could not openly quote a song composed by aheretic excommunicated by the Pope. And so the ‘Enigma’ Variations were born asa stealth imitation of the great German masters whom Elgar admiredand idealized, but could not openly emulate.

Soli Yah Gloria

Variation XIII, Mendelssohn and Luther

2011-08-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

"Felix Mendelssohn’s Lutheranism is not indispute."

MichaelP. Steinberg in The Cambridge Companionto Mendelssohn

Variation XIII from Elgar’s Enigma Variations wasidentified in its earliest sketch by a solitarycapital L. Subsequent sketches include the extra letters ML to form theinitials LML. Elgar scholars such as Byron Adams and Julian Rushton misinterpretthese letters as a reference to Lady Mary Lygon, a noblewoman who graciouslysupported Elgar’s musical career. At the same time the ‘Enigma’ Variations werecompleted, Elgar dedicated his ThreeCharacteristic Pieces to her, effectively ruling out Lady Lygon as thesecret dedicatee. There is no reasonable explanation for Elgar to openlydedicate one work to Lady Lygon on the one hand, yet on the other conceala second dedication unless it was for someone else. Patrick Turnersums up this dichotomy by observing the initials LML “constitutes furtherevidence in favor of Lady Mary Lygon as the subject of this variation, but atthe same time prompts curiosity as to why, if he used her initials at somepoint to identify the variation, did he decide to abandon them in favour ofasterisks.”[1]Why indeed. Those close to Elgar knew Lady Lygon could not possibly be the hidden friend, for her friendship was no secret at all. These informed individuals included Ernest Newman and Wulstan Atkins, among others. They personally knew Elgar, and knew better than to fall for an obvious ruse...unlike Adams and Rushton.

Since Lady Mary Lygon could not possibly be the secretdedicatee, what other conceivable explanation is there for Elgar to assign the initials LMLto Variation XIII?

The answer is surprisingly simple yet elegant. In VariationXIII Elgar inserts four quotations from Felix Mendelssohn’sconcert overture CalmSea and Prosperous Voyage. Like Bach, Felix Mendelssohn was a devout Lutheran whose faith was expressed in numeroussacred orchestral and choral works. Consequently the capital L may be viewed asthe first letter in a name, one that identifies both the founder of Mendelssohn’sfaith and the composer of theunstated Principal Theme to the ‘Enigma’ Variations: Luther. As I explain here,the unstated Principal Theme is Ein festeBurg, a famous hymn composed by Martin Luther,the father of Lutheranism.The addition of the letters ML to the original L may be reasonably interpretedas the initials for the composer of the covert theme. When Elgar assigned theinitials LML to his later sketches of Variation XIII, he gave critical cluesabout the identity of the hidden theme and its composer. That he did so instages, first with the capital L and latter appending the initials ML, helpsset apart the initials for the composer of the covert theme from the faith hefounded and Mendelssohn followed.

Why did Elgar quote the music of a devout Lutheran four times in Variation XIII? First, theunstated Principal Theme was composed by the founder of Lutheranism, andMendelssohn was a convert to that faith. Second, the number four pinpoints themovement in which Mendelssohn quotes Einfeste Burg in his first extended symphonic work, the Reformation Symphony.In the fourth and final movement, Mendelssohn uses Luther’s Ein feste Burg as the basis for a seriesof symphonic variations. By quotingMendelssohn’s music, Elgar cryptically implies by imitation that Mendelssohnquotes the unstated Principal Theme in a set of symphonic variations. Mendelssohnwas Jewish by birth, a trait also shared by the secretdedicatee of Variation XIII. The Roman numerals overtly identify theinitials for Elgar’s hidden friend (X = J, III = C).

Some may object to this line of reasoning on the groundsElgar said Variation XIII “…refers to a friend who was crossing the ocean whenthe Variation was written.”[2]In a letter to August Jaeger dated May 2, 1899, Elgar wrote of Variation XIII,“The pretty Lady is on the sea &amp; far away…”[3]In notes written in 1927 for a set of pianolo rolls of the Variations, Elgar’soriginal manuscript states, “The asterisks take the place of the name of LadyMary Lygon.”[4]For the published notes it reads more generally, “The asterisks take the placeof the name of a lady who was, at the time of the composition, on a seavoyage.” Despite these claims, it is well known that Lady Mary Lygon was not ona sea voyage when Elgar composed Variation XIII.[5]Is there some way to reconcile these seemingly incongruous comments from noless a source than the composer with the actual identity of the hiddenfriend?

There is a way, one that rather gracefully meldsElgar’s Roman Catholicism with the Lutheranism forming the melodic core of theVariations.

One of the many titles for Mary, the Virgin mother of Jesus,is “Our Lady,Star of the Sea”. When Elgar belatedly acknowledged “Lady Mary Lygon” in 1927 asthe secret dedicatee of Variation XIII, he all but named the mother of hissecretive friend. As the special protector of those who travel the seas,Elgar’s “Lady Mary” was most certainly far away and “crossing” the sea when hecomposed that special movement.

In Variation XIII Elgar’s choice of keys for the Mendelssohn fragments (F minor, Aflat major and E flat major) cryptically allude to a famous work for violin and piano, the F-A-E Sonata. This four movementpiece is dedicated to Joseph Joachim, a renowned violinist who supported the music ofListz and Wagner, and later championed Schumann and Brahms. Theletters F.A.E. are an acronym for Joachim’s personal motto, Frei aber einsam (Free but lonely). In his youthElgar desperately wanted to become a famous violin soloist, somethingbeyond his reach because he did not begin his formal instruction with Adolph Politzer until it was too late. Joachim was one of the mostcelebrated violin soloists of his generation, so Elgar's admirationfor him is understandable. Joachim's association with composers whomElgar deeply admired, particularly Wagner and Schumann, surely intensified thatfascination, especially since Joachim was a favorite of Queen Victoria and the British aristocracy. Elgar's deliberatepairing of Joachim's personal motto with Mendelssohn's music is deliberate as Joachim was a protégé of Mendelssohn. At the age of twelve Joachim performed Beethoven's violin concerto in London under thedirection of Mendelssohn, and he remained a perennial favorite with the Britishnation for the duration of his career. It is remarkable that Joseph is the first name of the earthly father for Jesus, the husband of Mary. Elgar's references to Lady Mary Lygon and Joseph Joachim should make the identity of the hidden friend exceedingly obvious.

Soli Yah Gloria

[1] Turner,Patrick. Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations - aCentenary Celebration. London: Thames Publishing, 1999, p. 74

[2] Ibid, p. 71

[3] Ibid, p. 69

[4] Ibid, p. 68.

[5] Ibid, p. 70

Links between the 'Enigma' Variations and the Turin Shroud

2011-06-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

"The Shroud is an Icon written in blood; the blood of a man who was scourged, crowned with thorns, crucified and whose right side was pierced. The Image impressed upon the Shroud is that of a dead man, but the blood speaks of his life. Every trace of blood speaks of love and of life."

Pope Benedict XVI from his Veneration of the Holy Shroud

During my in-depth study of Elgar’s ‘Enigma’ Variations, I arrived at the rather startling conclusion the Turin Shroud was a significant source of inspiration for the composer. This was not a preconceived assumption, but rather one crystallized over time by multiple observations. How could the Turin Shroud conceivably inspire Elgar to compose the Variations? As a practicing Roman Catholic, he was certainly aware of that relic’s importance to the Vatican as evidence of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Secondo Pia’s famous photographic negative of the Shroud become international news a mere five months before Elgar began work on the Variations. The Enigma Theme imitates a key feature of the shroud since it is a contrapuntal ‘negative’ of a famous theme. Similarly, the shroud is a photographic negative of a famous person. It is hardly coincidental that the famous theme (Ein feste Burg) on which Elgar based his counterpoint glorifies the famous personage on the Holy Shroud and even names Him in its lyrics. Consider the following observations to determine if one of the greatest orchestral works ever written by an Englishman was inspired by the single greatest relic of Christendom.

The Romanza Cipher

An ingenious elimination cipher embedded in Variation XIII forms the anagram S TURIN, a veiled reference to the Shroud of Turin. This anagram may alternatively be spelled as TURIN S, as in Turin Shroud. The cipher reference to the burial cloth of Jesus is supported by the fact that Variation XIII is surreptitiously dedicated to Jesus Christ. The initials for Elgar’s hidden friend are revealed by the Roman numerals. X is ten, and the tenth letter in the alphabet is J. III is three, and the third letter in the alphabet is C. Together the Roman numerals X and III may be interpreted as the initials J.C. for Jesus Christ. The references to Jesus and the Turin Shroud in Variation XIII are mutually reinforcing.

3-in-1 Herringbone Twill on the Turin Shroud

3-in-1 Herringbone Twill and Numerology

Elgar’s allusions to the Turin Shroud in the Enigma Theme and Variation XIII are bolstered by his use of numerological symbolism. The Turin Shroud is woven in a three-in-one herringbone twill. The numbers one and three turn up again and again within the Variations. The first two notes of the Enigma Theme are the third and first degrees of the G minor scale. The Enigma Theme is in common time with the strong beats falling on the first and third beats of the measure. Variation XIII refers to Jesus Christ and the Turin Shroud, and the number thirteen is the combination of the numerals one and three. Within that same variation are three Mendelssohn quotations in the major mode, and one in the minor mode. Modulations in Variation XIII cycle between the intervals of a first and third. Elgar’s repetitive use of the numbers one and three reflect a central tenant of the Roman Catholic faith, the doctrine of the Trinity. In the original sketch of Variation XIII, Elgar identified it with a solitary capital L. Why the letter L? The Turin Shroud is composed of linen, contains a negative image of Elgar’s Lord mentioned by name in Luther’s famous hymn, and contains a set of L-shaped burn holes.

L-shaped burn holes on the Turin Shroud

Picture this: Pi & C in the Enigma Theme

Richard Santa made the brilliant discovery that Elgar encrypted the number Pi (3.142) in the first four notes of the Enigma Theme by means of scale degrees (B flat = 3, G = 1, C = 4, A = 2). Pi (π) is a mathematical constant that precisely describes the ratio between any circle's circumference to its diameter. The Enigma Theme is in common time, a meter shown either by two fours in the time signature or by a capital C representing a broken circle. Combining Pi and C forms the phonetic equivalent for the Latin singular of the word fish (pisce). The Fish is one of the most popular symbols for Jesus. More relevant to this discussion is that obvious fact Pi and C are the first three letters in the word picture. This is a remarkable coincidence since Pia's famous photographic negative of the Turin Shroud became an international sensation in the secular and Catholic press just under five months before Elgar began composing the Enigma Variations. Pia's photographic revelation preceded Elgar's first performance of the Enigma Theme by 150 days, the equivalent of 4 months 27 days, 21 weeks or 3600 hours.

Flower Images on the Turin Shroud

Flowers and Asterisks

To the left and right sides of the face on the Turin Shroud appear the faint outlines of blooming petal flowers indigenous to the Holy Land. The Passover takes place in March-April, and these flowers only bloom during those months. According to scripture, Jesus was crucified right before Passover. Researchers believe the flowers were used as a funeral bouquet for his hasty internment in the Garden Tomb. Elgar uses three asterisks to anonymously identify the hidden friend of Variation XIII, and it is remarkable that an asterisk (*) resembles a petal flower. There is a well known floral connection with Christ since he is identified as the Rose of Sharon, and a Lily of the Valleys. Even if the floral impressions on the shroud were not visible during Elgar’s era, they serve as a prominent motif in Christian mosaics, icons and epitahios.

Flower images on the Turin Shroud

Floral images on a Christ Pantocrator Icon

Floral motif on an epitaphios

Length and Number

The Turin Shroud is just over fourteen feet in length. The Enigma Variations are fourteen in number.

H.D.S-P. and the Mysterious Hyphen

There is a revealing connection between the mysterious hyphen in the initials for Variation II and the Turin Shroud.

Turin and Lady Elgar’s Obituary

Lady Elgar's obituary in The Musical Times specifically mentions her accompanying Elgar on a trip to Turin where he conducted the local orchestra in a performance that included his 'Enigma' Variations. Why mention Turin in his wife's obituary? Elgar probably asked The Musical Times to cite this particular trip because of that city’s special connection to the Holy Shroud, a place where he conducted his first great orchestral work, one inspired by that sacred relic. According to Michael Kennedy, Elgar conducted the Turin orchestra in October 1911, nine years before Lady Elgar's death in 1920. Shortly after her passing, Elgar burned his musical notebook covering the period when the Variations were composed. If Lady Elgar was privy to the secret of the 'Enigma' Variations, the decision to burn that notebook assured the secret would die with her unless someone could decode Elgar's baffling musical Enigma cipher.

A Thin Connection

The caramel colored image of a crucified man on the Turin Shroud is extremely thin, ranging between 200 and 600 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter, and 200 to 600 nanometers is the thickness of the wall of a soap bubble. In the original 1899 program note Elgar said, “The Enigma I will not explain – its ‘dark saying’ must be left unguessed, and I warn you that the connexion between the Variations and the Theme is often of the slightest texture.” One definition of slight is slim or thin. My discovery of a musical checkerboard cipher in the opening measures of the Enigma Theme reveals a ‘dark saying’, i.e., a hidden message. One of the six plaintext solution words is teni, an approximate phonetic spelling of the Latin word tenuis meaning thin. The word teni is also an anagram for nite, a fitting link with Elgar’s reference to a dark saying. Just as the image on the Holy Shroud is thin, so too is the link between the unstated Principal Theme and the Variations. Similarly, just as the hidden image on the Holy Shroud was brought to light in a dark room, so is the hidden message of the Enigma Variations contained in a dark saying – a cipher.

Tasso, Turin and the Holy Shroud

At the conclusion of the original score of the Variations, Elgar quotes from the epic Christian poem La Gerusalemme liberate (Jerusalem Delivered) by Torquato Tasso. My most popular post describes the very special connection between Tasso and the Holy Shroud on its arrival to the city of Turin in 1578. For a person of Elgar’s literary breadth and sensitivity, the Tasso quote serves as another marker of his Shroud epiphany.

Elgar's Veiled Dancer

Elgar once said if the Variations were a ballet, the Enigma Theme should be represented by 'a veiled dancer'. A veil is a piece a cloth used to cover or conceal the body, usually the face. In a similar fashion a shroud is a cloth that covers or conceals the body before burial. Some interpret Elgar's reference to a veiled dancer as a suggestion the hidden friend from Variation XIII was a woman. On the contrary, multiple veiled references to the Turin Shroud within the Variations confirms the reference is not to a lady, but instead a lord– the Lord.

Soli Yah Gloria

A Rose of Sharon

The Luther Rose

H.D.S-P. and the Mysterious Hyphen

2011-06-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

"The LORD said to him, 'Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD?'"

Exodus 4:11

"He replied, 'Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!'"

John 9:25

The initials for Hew David Stewart Powell (H.D.S-P.) assigned to Variation II of the ‘Enigma’ Variations contain an oddly placed hyphen between the letters S and the P. In his informative book on the Enigma Variations, Patrick Turner confirms Powell’s college records lack a hyphen between those letters, or any letters for that matter. This obviously raises the question why Elgar would insert a hyphen where one clearly did not belong. My investigation of the Enigma Variations has shown that unusual features like the odd placement of a double bar or quotation marks around a short musical fragment alludes to the existence of a cryptogram. Could Elgar’s hyphen be a cryptographic harbinger of a hidden message?

The answer is a resounding yes.

A compelling connection exists between the letters S and P that dovetails with my discovery Elgar was inspired by the Shroud of Turin when he conceived of the Enigma Variations. The hyphen between those two letters show they belong together as part of a person's name. In this case it is not Hew David Steuart Powell, but rather Secondo Pia. Pia was an amateur photographer who took the first photograph of the Shroud of Turn on May 28, 1898. The negative image of that historic photograph became a media sensation, and was widely reported in the international and Catholic press. During and after 1898 the Shroud image was widely distributed and revered among the Catholic faithful who believed the Shroud is the burial cloth of Christ. The date of that picture is five months before Elgar began openly composing the Enigma Variations, so the timing is consistent with this theory.

Secondo Pia

Why would Elgar choose Variation II to provide this hyphenated clue? There are a number of compelling cryptographic reasons. The name Secondo is all but spelled out by the Roman numeral (II) which may be interpreted as the word second. The two I’s can be viewed figuratively as a reference to Pia’s experience of seeing the Lord’s face with his own two eyes. Before May 28, 1898, the world was blind to the amazingly detailed image on the Shroud until Pia’s stunning photographic negative brought it all to light in a dark room. Is this perhaps a subtle reference to Elgar’s ‘dark saying’? Another of Elgar’s works, the sacred oratorio The Light of Life (Op. 29), tells the story of how Jesus restored sight to the eyes of a poor beggar blind from birth. For Elgar there is a profound artistic and spiritual link between Jesus and the eyes of a poor blind man.

Dante and Virgil meet Pia dei Tolomei

There are numerous allusions to Dante's Divine Comedy throughout the Enigma Variations as I explain here. Elgar's hidden reference to Secondo Pia may be linked to Dante's greatest poetic work. In Purgatorio 5:134-136, a character named Pia dei Tolomei tells Dante about her tragic life, a drama portrayed in various artistic works such as a play by Carlo Marenco, an opera by Donizetti, and a painting by Rossetti. In a way Dante too was blind to many spiritual truths until he completed his great trek through the underworld, purgatory to the gates of paradise.

Is it possible Elgar was so moved by the face of Christ hidden in plain sight on the Turin Shroud that he conceived a symphonic work to honor that discovery? The Enigma theme is essentially a contrapuntal ‘negative’ of a famous melody, much like the Shroud of Turin is a photographic negative of a crucified man many believe to be Jesus. It took the passage of millennia before technology and modern photography could unlock the secrets of the Shroud. In contrast, it took the passage of only 110 years to discover the hidden theme of the Enigma Variations.

The failure of prominent Elgar scholars to unravel the many enigmas of the 'Enigma' Variations reminds me of these words of Messiah: “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Soli Yah Gloria

Jesus heals the blind beggar

Elgar's Enigma Fish: Pi ~ C

2011-06-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

"As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.' Immediately they left their nets and followed Him."

Mark 1:16-18

"Now follow me, we should be getting on

the Fish are shimmering on the horizon

the Wain is now exactly over Carus,

and the passage on the bank is farther on."

Virgil speaking to Dante in The Inferno

A retired engineer by the name of Richard Santa made the startling discovery that Elgar enciphered the number Pi (π) within the Enigma Theme. Santa’s research was recently reported by the journal Current Musicology published by Columbia University. Pi is a well known mathematical constant describing the ratio between a circle’s circumference and diameter. In his groundbreaking paper, Santa observed the first four notes of the Enigma Theme sequentially approximate the number Pi by means of scale degrees (i.e., B flat = 3, G = 1, C = 4, A = 2). Since the theme recapitulates in measure 11, the number Pi is actually encoded twice.

The Enigma Theme is set in common time (4/4), a meter represented by a broken circle resembling a capital C. Since Pi is a ratio based on the mathematics of circles, it is highly coincidental the time signature for this opening movement may be given by a circular symbol. By combining Pi and C together, a phonetic spelling for the Latin word for fish (pisci) is realized. Such a cryptographic pairing is hardly contrived or coincidental, for in Elgar’s Roman Catholic tradition the fish is a widely recognized symbol for the secret dedicatee of Variation XIII – Jesus Christ.

The fish is the most frequently used symbol for Jesus, and for good measure: There are numerous scriptural associations between the two. When he recruited his disciples, Jesus invited them to become fishers of men. When he commenced his public ministry, Jesus was first baptized by John the Baptist. In Christian symbolism the fish also represents baptism, for just as a fish cannot live except in water, so too must a believer live anew by the waters of baptism. Jesus miraculously multiplied five loaves of bread and two fishes to feed the five thousand. When challenged by those demanding a sign of his heavenly authority, Jesus answered he would only give them the sign of Jonah, a prophet who spent three days and nights in the belly of a huge fish.

In the early church the fish was used as a secret sign for believers. Known as the “sign of the fish”, this Christogram consists of two intersecting arcs whose right ends extend beyond the intersection to resemble the profile of a fish. The Greek letters for fish (Ichthys, I X Θ Y Σ) were chosen because they form an acrostic based on the first letters of the Greek words “Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior”. An early version of ichthys is a combination of these letters arranged to resemble an eight-spoked wheel.

Returning to Santa’s discovery of Pi within the Enigma Theme, it is fascinating to observe that a wheel is a circle. Similar to the role of early Christograms such as the fish, ciphers are used to communicate hidden messages. Was Elgar’s obscure reference to the fish a clue that a more complex cipher lurks beneath the surface? The word cipher begins with the letter c. So does the word checkerboard. A fishing net resembles a checkerboard grid. The problem with complex ciphers is they are difficult to detect, to see (C). This is undoubtedly the case with the Enigma Theme as its solution remained a mystery for over a century.

Is there a musical cipher embedded within the opening measures of the Enigma Theme? My original research demonstrates such is the case, and that it is a musical checkerboard cipher. One of three languages used in that special cipher is Latin, something perfectly consistent with Elgar’s background as a Roman Catholic who studied Latin in various Catholic schools and attended Latin Mass. Pisci is the Latin word for fish. Elgar enjoyed fishing, whether it was for a novel counterpoint to a famous theme, a solution to an insoluble cipher, or for fish in the sea.

Turning our gaze skyward, consider the constellation Pisces, the twelfth astrological sign in the Zodiac. It is considered a water sign due to its association with the fish. The constellation is represented by twin fish connected by a string. Recall there are two occurrences of Pi encoded within the Enigma Theme, and both are tied together by the same notes, key and meter. The renowned Roman Catholic poet Torquato Tasso was a Pisces as he was born when the sun was in the sign (February 19 to March 20). At the end of the original score of the Enigma Variations, Elgar quotes from Tasso’s epic Christian poem Jerusalem Delivered. Consequently it would appear both the beginning and end of the Enigma Variations contain hidden allusions to the fish, and therefore symbolically to Christ – the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and the End. No wonder Variation XIII musically portrays a marine atmosphere with a distant steamship crossing a calm, undulating sea (C). For Roman Catholics, crossing oneself is a symbolic ritual, and conducting common time replicates this sacred act. Similar to that distant steamship, Jesus crossed a sea by walking on water. The sea that raged and frothed suddenly became serene when Jesus uttered the words, “Be still”. Even the winds and the waves obey the commands of Messiah.

Soli Yah Gloria