The British composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934) was mainly self-taught. Apart from the piano and violin lessons he received, he taught himself to compose by devouring books on music theory and drawing inspiration from the music of Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner and Anton Rubinstein. Given his lack of formal training and his modest origins, it was not until 1899 – the year when he wrote his Enigma Variations – that he was taken seriously as a composer.
Shortly after having written his first Pomp and Circumstance March in 1901, he told a friend that he had a tune ‘that would knock ‘em flat’. He was right: during the première, the public called twice for an encore, and in no time at all, the March become one of the all-time favourites at English events. It was even picked up in the US, where it has now become a tradition to play it at graduation ceremonies.
Elgar was the first British composer since Henry Purcell (1659-1695) whose music succeeded in attracting attention outside of Great Britain. In 1904, he at last received the recognition he had longed for, when King Edward VII knighted him.
Elgar was not only a musician and composer, but also a great lover of puzzles and cryptograms. His daughter gave him the nickname Carice, a combination of the first names of his wife Car(oline Al)ice. And of course he worked riddles into his music, with the Enigma Variations as the best-known example.
Elgar had a deep interest in science and technology. Thus, he built a chemistry lab in his barn, where he spent hours tinkering with his own musical instruments and experimenting with chemical processes. He also closely followed technological innovations in the music industry, such as the invention of the gramophone and the phonograph. For the contemporary record company His Masters Voice, he provided recordings of his works, which he himself conducted.
'A dark saying that must be left unguessed.’ Fourteen variations on a single theme—it sounds simple, almost trivial, maybe even a bit dull. Yet the playful sketch Elgar improvised one evening at the piano grew into one of the most iconic works in the symphonic repertoire.
During this musical lecture, the passionate pianist and storyteller Florestan Bataillie guides you through the mysterious world of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, revealing how each variation paints a deeply personal portrait of the people who shaped the composer’s life. Whether you’re already an aficionado or simply curious, everyone is welcome, and no prior knowledge is required!
'A dark saying that must be left unguessed.’ Fourteen variations on a single theme—it sounds simple, almost trivial, maybe even a bit dull. Yet the playful sketch Elgar improvised one evening at the piano grew into one of the most iconic works in the symphonic repertoire.
‘That old, but eternally new subject, Romeo and Juliet.’ Romeo and Juliet is the ultimate love story, which Tchaikovsky transforms into a gripping musical drama, full of passion, tension, and lyrical beauty.
