# A Wagnerian Solution to Elgar's Enigma.



## SteveDavidMarlow (Aug 6, 2020)

I wish to share a new proposed solution to Elgar's famous 'Enigma', which is part conceptual and part musical. I believe this new theory resolves all of the apparent contradictions.

The theory can be briefly summarised as follows:
•	The hidden theme of the Enigma is 'The Representative Theme' (aka 'Leitmotif').
•	A musical counterpoint solution involves multiple Wagner leitmotifs, which interlock to harmonise with all 19 bars of the Enigma theme.
•	The counterpoint themes help to point the way to the 'dark saying', by linking conceptually with a particular scene in Wagner's 'Die Walküre'.
•	The 'dark saying' is a question, the answer to which is unknown by Elgar himself and therefore remains 'unguessed'.

I cannot fully explain it here, but you can read the full details at the following page, which also includes audio clips: https://sdmarlowmusic.net/enigma/


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Eh...I read the article, followed the examples. And I don't buy it. I've been convinced for a long time that the "theme" isn't musical at all.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Nice idea. Elgar said it was a musical counterpoint to another piece of music, which sounds to me as being continuous, but it seems you're including more than 1 clip. Also the theme is in the treble, supposedly originally without the bass accompaniment which is improvised by Elgar to the theme, I take it. If you take away the bass, I don't feel the theme/counter-theme stand on their own.


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## SteveDavidMarlow (Aug 6, 2020)

Phil, thanks for your reply. What I'm suggesting is that the 'larger theme' is 'The Representative theme (aka Leitmotif) which goes 'through and over the whole set' conceptually. There has to also be a counterpoint element, but the phrase used after the Musical time interview in 1900 was “Mr Elgar tells us that the heading Enigma is justified by the fact that it is possible to add another phrase, which is quite familiar, above the original theme that he has written.” - That suggests a phrase over Elgar's melody and harmony, rather than Elgar's melody over some other complete piece of music.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

SteveDavidMarlow said:


> Phil, thanks for your reply. What I'm suggesting is that the 'larger theme' is 'The Representative theme (aka Leitmotif) which goes 'through and over the whole set' conceptually. There has to also be a counterpoint element, but the phrase used after the Musical time interview in 1900 was "Mr Elgar tells us that the heading Enigma is justified by the fact that it is possible to add another phrase, which is quite familiar, above the original theme that he has written." - That suggests a phrase over Elgar's melody and harmony, rather than Elgar's melody over some other complete piece of music.


On 2nd thought I think you're right. But I suspect the Enigma theme would have a more central role if played together, since he was building around it, rather than as just interesting harmony.

https://medium.com/world-of-music/p...ion-to-elgar-s-enigma-variations-5f1f7dd2158a


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## SteveDavidMarlow (Aug 6, 2020)

Phil loves classical said:


> There could be different interpretations. My own interpretation is that only the main theme of a single line/voice of the work in the treble is in counterpoint with the Enigma theme. I think since the guy was at the piano I don't think he would play the complete unknown piece with accompaniment (nor the other way around), but rather just 2 lines of melody. I'm thinking he added the accompaniment later. Some of his quotes.
> 
> https://medium.com/world-of-music/p...ion-to-elgar-s-enigma-variations-5f1f7dd2158a


I understand what you are saying. However, a composer does not need to work everything out at the piano. It is mostly a mental process, and a composer is certainly capable of imagining another line in addition to what is being played.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

But we know for a fact that Elgar did first conceive the work at the piano. He was noodling around, just randomly exploring ideas when one was so striking that his wife Alice stopped whatever she was doing in the kitchen and said, that's a nice theme! Check out Ian Parrot's biography of the composer, chapter 7: he goes on for 13 pages of what he considers a possible solution to the Enigma problem....and it' still not convincing.


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## SteveDavidMarlow (Aug 6, 2020)

mbhaub said:


> But we know for a fact that Elgar did first conceive the work at the piano. He was noodling around, just randomly exploring ideas when one was so striking that his wife Alice stopped whatever she was doing in the kitchen and said, that's a nice theme! Check out Ian Parrot's biography of the composer, chapter 7: he goes on for 13 pages of what he considers a possible solution to the Enigma problem....and it' still not convincing.


The fact that Elgar was 'noodling around' does not mean that he hadn't thought about his Enigma, before experimenting at the piano. Playing the Enigma theme on the piano would have been the 'taking shape' of the idea, not necessarily the initial conception. If I am right then Elgar would have already decided on the counterpoint which would have been in his imagination as he played. This is the same mental process as when a jazz musician improvises against a bass line or chord sequence, or a baroque musician improvised against a ground bass. My suggested counterpoint for bars 1-6 (and 11-16) is a two-bar repeating pattern that would ideally lend itself to this type of improvisation. It is even possible that Elgar would have hummed the counterpoint theme(s) while he played, but a composer knows what will work and can imagine the result - if this were not the case, how would Beethoven have composed when he was too deaf to hear the applause for his ninth symphony?


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