by Dora M. Penny Powell (Mrs. Richard Powell)
Edward Elgar was either genius or crazy--and I'm leaning toward genius. The orchestra composer interwove a complex puzzle into his music that has since been left unsolved after his death.
This book recounts Elgar's life with emphasis on his second most famous musical piece, "Enigma Variations" (his first was "Pomp and Circumstance"). Enigma takes a basic theme and spins it into 14 variations, each cryptically based on a friend of Elgar.
The identity of the friends have all been discovered. (The author of the book inspired Variation 10, entitled "Dorabella Intermezzo.") But greater still is the overarching enigma. Elgar himself wrote in 1899 (recorded in the book):
"The Enigma I will not explain -- it's 'dark saying' must be left unguessed, and I warn you that the apparent connexion between the Variations and the Theme is often of the slightest texture; further, through and over the whole set another and larger theme 'goes', but is not played... the chief character is never on stage."
Enigma is the perfect word for it (and for him!).
Elgar's Enigma was never solved. Neither was his famous Dorabella Cipher, a cryptic letter to the author shown in the book appendix. Some of the world's top cryptologists have tried to solve it, but no one has... yet.
A fascinating book on a fascinating man, particularly for the puzzle-lover.
GRADE:
_ B _ _ _
The writing wasn't great, but I curved up for sheer interestingness of topic.
1 comment:
After careful research and analysis, Robert W. Padgett discovered that the missing melody to Elgar's 110 year old "Enigma Variations" is "Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott" by the Reformation Leader Martin Luther. Known as "A Mighty Fortress is our God," this hymn satisfies all three rules set forth by the composer:
1) It plays through and over the entire 17 bars of the "Enigma Theme."
2) It is famous.
3) Dora Penny was intimately familiar with this work.
A sound file of "Ein' feste Burg" played on flute "over and through" the "Enigma Theme" may be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnzosoCk5o0
A sound file of "Ein' feste Burg" played on trumpet "over and through" Variation IX "Nimrod" may be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT0Sd8ESXpk
Interestingly, the biblical name "Nimrod" means "A Mighty Hunter," and amazingly the title of the missing melody is “A Mighty Fortress." The link between the two could not be more apparent. Variation IX was dedicated to August Jaeger, Elgar’s dear friend from Germany who championed his music at Novello. Martin Luther was German, and many prominent German composers quoted “Ein’ feste Burg” in their music: J.S. Bach, Mendelssohn, and Raff and Wagner. Elgar venerated the music of Bach, Mendelssohn and Wagner, so it should come as no surprise that he would emulate these great masters in this way.
For Robert W. Padgett's full report on this amazing discovery go to http://enigmathemeunmasked.blogspot.com
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