Many composers wrote music for their friends, but Edward Elgar composed music about his friends. As he described the Enigma Variations’ genesis,

One evening after a long and tiresome day’s teaching, aided by a cigar, I musingly played on the piano the theme as it now stands. The voice of C. A. E. [Alice Elgar] asked with a sound of approval, “What was that?” I answered, “Nothing—but something might be made of it; Powell [a pianist] would have done this (Variation 2) or Nevinson [a cellist friend] would have looked at it like this (Variation 12).” Variation 4 was then played and the question asked, “Who is that like?” The answer was, “I cannot quite say, but it is exactly the way W. M. B. goes out of the room. You are doing something which I think has never been done before.” Thus the work grew into the shape it has now.

The richly melodic theme and variations illustrate, as Elgar described, “the idiosyncrasies of 14 of my friends, not necessarily musicians.”

Variation I (C.A.E.)—Elgar’s wife Alice, “whose life was a romantic and delicate inspiration.”

Variation II (H.D.S-P.)—Pianist Hew David Steuart-Powell.

Variation III (R.B.T.)—Richard Baxter Townshend, known for riding his bike about town.

Variation IV (W.M.B.)—William Meath Baker, “a country squire, gentleman and scholar.”

Variation V (R.P.A.)—Richard Penrose Arnold, a “a great lover of music.”

Variation VI (Ysobel)—Isabel Fitton, an amateur violinist.

Variation VII (Troyte)—Architect Arthur Troyte Griffith, one of Elgar’s closest friends.

Variation VIII (W.N.)—A portrait of the house where Winifred Norbury lived.

Variation IX (Nimrod)—Nimrod refers to the German word for hunter, “Jaeger,” the last name of one of Elgar’s close friends.

Variation X (Dorabella—Intermezzo)—Dora Penny, the step-niece of William Baker.

Variation XI (G.R.S.)—the dog of George Robertson Sinclair, organist of Hereford Cathedral.

Variation XII (B.G.N.)—Elgar’s friend Basil Nevinson.

Variation XIII (***Romanza)—Lady Mary Lyon, whose brother was Governor of New South Wales.

Variation XIV (Finale: E.D.U.)—“Edu,” Alice’s affectionate nickname for her husband.