b'Britten provided the following program note in 1971 for a performance at the Aldeburgh Festival:The first movement starts with a tiny phrase for timpani, answered by the cymbal. This becomes the accompaniment for the first long tune on the violin solo, reappears many times during the movement, and finally accompanies a melodic cadenza descending slowly from the violins highest notes, in double- and triple-stopping. There is a pleading middle section in the acrobatic Vivace, after which the previous material appears softly and muted. There is a slow crescendo to a tutti which introduces a cadenza. This leads directly to the Passacaglia, of which the theme is announced by the trombones.Instrumentationthree flutes (two doubling piccolo), two oboes (one doubling English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, strings, and solo violinDuration33 minutesEdward Elgar (1857-1934)Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 Enigma Composed 1898-99Elgars Enigma Variations started as an improvisation at the piano after a long, tiresome day of teaching and evolved into what is regarded as his best known, most discussed, and most performed orchestral work.The mystery of the identities most of the people depicted is easily uncovered and a brief overview is provided: Variation I - (C.A.E.) - This is the composers wife, Alice Elgar. He once wrote in a program note about this variation, The variation is really a prolongation of the theme with what I wished to be romantic and delicate'