He finished dinner, lit a cigar and sat down at the piano to doodle. Elgar later recalled what happened next.
“In a little while, soothed and feeling rested, I began to play, and suddenly my wife interrupted by saying: ‘Edward, that’s a good tune.’ I awoke from the dream. ‘Eh! Tune, what tune!’ And she said, ‘Play it again, I like that tune.’ I played and strummed, and played, then she exclaimed: ‘That’s the tune.’ The voice of [my wife] asked with a sound of approval, ‘What is that?’ I answered, ‘Nothing – but something might be made of it.’”
00:00 Theme (Andante)
02:00 Variation I. (L'istesso tempo) "C.A.E."
04:18 Variation II. (Allegro) "H.D.S.- P."
05:04 Variation III. (Allegretto) "R.B.T."
06:31 Variation IV. (Allegro di molto) "W.M.B."
07:01 Variation V. (Moderato) "R.P.A."
09:32 Variation VI. (Andantino) "Ysobel"
10:56 Variation VII. (Presto) "Troyte"
11:53 Variation VIII. (Allegretto) "W.N."
14:11 Variation IX. (Adagio) "Nimrod" - [ Ссылка ]
20:35 Variation X. (Intermezzo : Allegretto) "Dorabella"
23:39 Variation XI. (Allegro di molto) "G.R.S."
24:41 Variation XII. (Andante) "B.G.N."
28:10 Variation XIII. (Romanza: Moderato) "* * *"
31:34 Variation XIV. (Finale: Allegro - Presto) "E.D.U."
The first performance, conducted in London by Hans Richter, took place on 19 June 1899 in a concert that concluded with Mozart’s ‘Prague’ Symphony. It was not until 13 September in Worcester, however, that the Variations were heard in their final form after Elgar had added a further 100 bars to the end of “E.D.U.” to make a more powerful conclusion.
Elgar was 42, and the work sealed his fame.
