{"id":47028,"date":"2024-08-30T14:48:38","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T12:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/13e2c386-a2ce-4883-8128-5ba600f50bc1"},"modified":"2024-08-30T15:07:15","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T13:07:15","slug":"what-is-the-mysterious-dark-saying-plumbing-the-unsolved-mystery-of-elgars-enigma-variations","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/what-is-the-mysterious-dark-saying-plumbing-the-unsolved-mystery-of-elgars-enigma-variations\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the mysterious ‘dark saying’? Plumbing the unsolved mystery of Elgar’s Enigma Variations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Published: Friday, 30 August 2024 at 12:48 PM<\/p>

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In the programme note at the premiere of the Enigma<\/em> Variations, Edward Elgar<\/strong><\/a> laid down the gauntlet for music detectives: \u2018The Enigma I will not explain \u2013 its \u201cdark saying\u201d must be left unguessed, and I warn you that the apparent connection between the Variations and the Theme is often of the slightest texture; further, through and over the whole set, another and larger theme \u201cgoes\u201d but is not played.\u2019 To this day the enigma remains \u2018unsolved\u2019. So what is the meaning of the Enigma<\/em> by Elgar? Here are five of the most popular theories\u2026 <\/p>