The official title of this orchestral piece was Variations on an Original Theme, but it became known as the “Enigma Variations
”—the “enigma
” being the identity of the original, larger theme that is actually never stated. The conductor
Hans Richter
instantly recognised the “Enigma Variations
” as a masterpiece, and conducted its first performance in London in 1899. The music marks the belated arrival of Elgar's fully-fledged style—in which nobility, nostalgia, and a quiet passion...