Variations on an Original Theme 'Enigma', Op. 36, Op. 36
by Edward Elgar
OrchestraRomanticVariations~30 minprofessional
Fourteen orchestral variations on an original theme, each a musical portrait of one of Elgar's friends identified only by initials. The hidden 'enigma' — a larger unheard theme said to go through and over the variations — has never been definitively identified. The Nimrod variation (IX) is among the most celebrated passages in British orchestral music.
Editions
Novello
Robert Anderson, 1999
Critical edition based on the autograph full score and first edition, with detailed critical commentary.
★★★★★
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Eulenburg
Peter Dennison, 1986
Miniature score with scholarly preface discussing sources and performance history.
★★★★★
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