Edward Elgar

Nimrod

In 1898 and 1899 Edward Elgar wrote his Enigma Variations, portraying several of his friends. Variation IX received the mysterious title 'Nimrod' and describes August Jaeger, a German who worked in a London publishing business which published Elgar's music. Elgar gave him the surname 'Nimrod' to pun his name, as Nimrod was a legendary hunter mentioned in the Bible. Late in 1898, the composer fell into a deep depression that quite seriously affected his capacity to compose. On 20 October 1898 he wrote to Jaeger about his gloomy state of mind and Jaeger immediately left for Elgar's home. He took the composer with him on a walk and gave him precious advice, referring to Ludwig van Beethoven, a composer they both admired. Beethoven was also an exceptionally gifted man marked by life. However he overcame all reverse by working hard and seeking salvation in composing. August Jaeger's support and devotion resulted in one of the most often performed and examined compositions of the classical music repertoire, the 'Enigma Variations'. The Nimrod tune became one of the most beautiful melodies in the history of English classical music