The Elgar Enigma series celebrates the 150th anniversary of
Elgar's birth, the countryside that so inspired him and his first
widely recognised work, Variations on an Original Theme, more
commonly known as The Enigma Variations.
|
Variation IX (Adagio) Nimrod was dedicated to Augustus J Jaeger,
Elgar's best friend and music editor for his publisher Novello. As
well as an attempt to capture what Elgar saw as Jaeger's noble
character, this variation is said to depict a long summer evening
walk in the woods discussing Beethoven's Eighth Piano Sonata. Some
parts resemble this piece.
The name 'Nimrod', the mythical hunter, was chosen because
'Jaeger' is German for hunter. This variation (along with Pomp and
Circumstance No 1, Land of Hope and Glory) is the most celebrated
and the one that everyone knows because it is played so often. For
instance it is always played at the Cenotaph in London on
Remembrance Sunday.
|
Augustus J Jaeger
|
The wooded lane
|
South-east of Worcester lie the two small hamlets of Wadborough
and Drakes Broughton, and its the name of this second village that
Elgar took for the title of one his earliest pieces, Hymn Tune in F
major", when it was published. A narrow wooded lane connects the
two villages and Elgar once remarked to a friend that he intended
to 'haunt' this lane. It has been said that the composer's presence
has been felt, on more than one occasion, by someone passing along
this lane, so keep a look out when you go for this cache.
As with the musical variation, this one is based on a walk
around a wood. The first part (which is at the coordinates above)
is by the road then you will need to walk up the path. There is
parking in a layby at the start of the path on the opposite side to
the first part.
|