California State University, Northridge Conducting the Elgar Enigma Variations A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Music in Music, Conducting by Laura Asenas December 2020 The graduate project of Laura Asenas is approved: ________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Steven Thachuk Date ________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Lawrence Stoffel Date ________________________________________ ______________ Dr. John Roscigno, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii Dedication I would like to dedicate this project to my inspiration Paul, who was there for me during all the ups and downs helping me through this amazing journey, my friend Mercedes who spent many hours helping me practice this work by accompanying me on the piano, my mother Joy, who also helped me practice the night before the performance, and lastly to my professor Dr. John Roscigno who has taught me for the past 2 years and gave me the wonderful opportunity to perform my favorite piece. It was a joy to study and conduct! iii Table of Contents Signature Page ..................................................................................................................................................ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................................................iii Abstract .............................................................................................................................................................v Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................1 Historical Background of Elgar ........................................................................................................................2 The Variations ...................................................................................................................................................6 Preparation for the Performance .....................................................................................................................13 Preparing and Practice Methods .................................................................................................13 Personal Interpretation ................................................................................................................14 Rehearsal Issues ..............................................................................................................................................21 Final Performance........................................................................................................................................... 27 Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................................28 Appendix A Tempo Chart ...............................................................................................................................30 Appendix B Thematic Chart ...........................................................................................................................31 iv Abstract Conducting the Elgar Enigma Variations by Laura Asenas Master of Music in Music, Conducting Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations is a compositional masterpiece that gained him recognition as one of England’s most beloved composers. Enigma Variations propelled the composer from musical obscurity to England’s high society, and was praised by contemporary musical luminaries such as Hans Richter and Richard Strauss. In addition to earning Elgar a knighthood and recognition among the general public, Variations is a seminal work with a place in every major orchestra’s standard repertoire. In particular, Variation IX (Nimrod) has become an audience favorite across the globe, and can be heard in countless film and TV soundtracks. This thesis will detail the process of preparing and performing Elgar’s masterwork with the CSUN Youth Orchestra Philharmonic. Areas of focus include a historical and thematic description of the piece, effective score study techniques, and rehearsal and performance issues unique to Enigma Variations. Rehearsals were conducted through the early spring of 2017, and the performance took place on March 5, 2017 at Plaza Del Sol on the campus of California State University Northridge. This performance was done in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting under the supervision of Dr. John Roscignio. v Introduction This Graduate Orchestral Conducting Project combines the collective experience of choosing a major work, studying the score, rehearsing the musicians, and then performing the piece for a large audience. In this case, Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations was chosen and approved by Dr. John Roscigno, conducting professor at California State University, Northridge and was performed by the CSUN Youth Philharmonic. The performance took place on March 5, 2017, at the Plaza del Sol as part of a larger concert in the youth orchestra’s series of concerts. Leonard Bernstein’s Candide Overture and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 3rd-4th movement were also performed that night, making it a challenging and yet exciting program for the students. Rehearsals for the program began in December 2016 with two and a half months of hard work and preparation leading to the concert. This paper will discuss critical points in the process of creating an informed, successful artistic performance of the Enigma Variations. The four main topics outlined are Score Study, Personal Interpretation, Rehearsal Issues, and the Final Performance. Each section will highlight important details including successes and difficulties that helped to shape the masterwork. 1 Historical Background of Edward Elgar Born on June 2, 1857, the fourth of seven children, Elgar grew up in a family that was very supportive of music. Elgar’s father was a piano tuner and organist at St. George’s, a Roman Catholic Church, and taught music to all of the Elgar children. His mother, the daughter of a farm worker, encouraged Edward to pursue his musical ambitions. As a boy, Elgar’s father exposed him to circles of amateur musicians and salon performances. From these contacts and experiences, Elgar later developed his own group of amateur musician friends, which eventually became the inspiration Elgar would draw upon for Enigma Variations. At the age of 29, Elgar married Caroline Alice Roberts on May 8, 1889. Eight years his senior, Alice was an older and well-educated woman. She was a published poet with a gifted eye for artistry, whether it be in poetry or editing Elgar’s music. A former piano student of his, Alice fell in love with the charming Elgar and recognized his potential as a brilliant composer. Alice’s family felt differently. As the daughter of a Major-General, her family was upper class, and they disowned Alice because she married a man who was not only much lower in social status, but also because of their religious prejudices against his identity as a Roman Catholic. Elgar’s biographer Michael Kennedy commented that "Alice's family was horrified by her intention to marry an unknown musician who worked in a shop and was a Roman Catholic. She was disinherited.”1 Despite losing her social status when she married Elgar, she was determined to help him succeed as a composer. She noted in her diary, “The care of a genius is enough of a life 1 Kennedy, Michael. Elgar, Sir Edward William, baronet (1857-1934). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford University Press, 2004). 2 work for any woman.”2 She displayed an untiring devotion to his work by copying sheet music for Elgar, drawing staffs and lines on scoring paper for him, helping him edit his compositions, and giving constant emotional support. Growing up in a modest family background outside of Worcester, England, Edward Elgar struggled most of his life to be considered an accomplished composer. Throughout his 30s, Elgar earned little more than a local reputation for his early compositions such as Salut D’amour, Serenade for Strings, Three Bavarian Dances, and Caractacus. However, it was not until he produced Variations on an Original Theme (later renamed Enigma Variations) at age 42 that he finally received the international acclaim for his work that he had always desired. Hans Richter conducted the first performance of Enigma Variations in London in 1899 at St. James’s Hall in Piccadilly, drawing a standing ovation for the previously unappreciated composer. Rosa Burley, a good friend and violin student of Elgar’s noted, “The first performance, unlike those of many of Edward’s other works, was an immense success…as the changing moods of the variations succeeded one another, tender, gay, and playful in turn many of the audience felt profoundly moved.”3 Elgar music had connected with the general populace of England in a personal way that other English composers had failed to do. Soon after his initial success with Variations, Elgar was formally knighted at Buckingham Palace on July 5, 1904, and became recognized as one of England’s foremost composers. Enigma Variations established Elgar as a writer who championed England’s nationalistic pride. 2 Kennedy, Michael. Elgar, Sir Edward William, baronet (1857-1934). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford University Press, 2004). 3 Burley,