While Elgar’s work is the most famous musical "piece," the name appears in several other contexts:
The "Enigma" moniker stems from a pair of puzzles Elgar left for his audience and future musicologists:
: The second, deeper enigma is a "dark saying" Elgar claimed was hidden "through and over the whole set". He stated that a well-known melody exists that can be played as a counterpoint to the main theme, but it is never actually heard in the music.
: Elgar dedicated each variation to a specific person in his circle, labeling them with cryptic initials or nicknames.
: This puzzle remains unsolved and continues to be debated. Popular theories for the hidden tune include "Auld Lang Syne," nursery rhymes like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," or the hymn "Now the Day Is Over" . Other Notable "Enigma" Pieces and References
Exploring Philip Sparke’s Variations on an Enigma - It's Not a Trumpet
: Elgar himself revealed these identities in 1920 . For example, "Nimrod" (Variation IX) represents his close friend and publisher August Jaeger—"Jaeger" being German for "hunter," and Nimrod being a biblical hunter.
