"Ein feste Burg" (A Mighty Fortress) with Elgar's Enigma Theme in retrograde

The Enigma Theme from Edward Elgar’s symphonic Enigma Variations is played backward with “Ein feste Burg” (A Mighty Fortress) by Martin Luther. This illustration makes it easier to identify the hidden source melody as it is played forward in the ordinary manner.

This free adaptation of “Ein feste Burg” is sourced from three different versions: Luther’s original, and renditions by J. S. Bach and Felix Mendelssohn. Elgar’s hidden melody to the Enigma Variations is a unique “tribrid” constructed from distinct phrases from three different versions of Luther’s most famous hymn.

There are 31 melodic note conjunctions between “Ein feste Burg’ and the Enigma Theme. There are an additional 46 harmonic note conjunctions between “Ein feste Burg” and the harmonic structure of the Enigma Theme. The combined total is 77 note conjunctions between the melody of “Ein feste Burg” in retrograde and the Enigma Theme's short score. This mapping is achieved through the application of free rhythm using the standard contrapuntal devices of augmentation and diminution. The Enigma Theme's ABA'C structure suggested this unconventional mapping because it is a phonetic spelling of "aback," a word that means "backward" and "surprise."

To learn more about the innermost secrets of the Enigma Variations, visit http://enigmathemeunmasked.blogspot.com/2012/09/table-of-contents.html