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It was the huge success of the ‘Enigma Variations’ and ‘Nimrod’ in particular that turned Elgar’s professional and personal life around. The story is that after a hard day’s teaching Elgar was relaxing by improvising at the piano and the tune he was playing caught the attention of his wife. To please her he began to improvise variations on the tune, each of which was either a musical portrait of one of their friends or else in a musical style they might have used.

The Enigma of the ‘Variations’ is not the identity of the friends. It is well known who each of the fourteen variations is dedicated to. The Enigma lies in the hidden theme, which is central to the work but is never played. This Enigma has fascinated musicians and musicologists since the composition of the Variations at the turn of the 19th century. Learned tomes have been dedicated to solving the riddle. Perhaps the best solution is that Elgar, who had an impish sense of humour despite his rather morose outlook on life, was ‘having a laugh’.

The LSO has a long history with the ‘Introduction and Allegro’ as the newly formed orchestra commissioned the piece for an all Elgar concert in 1905. It was written as a celebration of the orchestra’s virtuosity. If you listen to this performance you will see exactly why.