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Watch the full performance of Elgar's music by the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Rafael Payare.

Elgar's variations show how music can convey personality, an event, a memory or a moment in time - but also how the same piece of music can be changed slightly and then take on a different character completely. After creating a theme based on his own personality (Enigma), Elgar wrote short musical variations that reflected the people around him. One captured the quirks of a friend (6 - Ysobel), one represented the memory of another friend being caught in a thunderstorm (7 - Troyte), and one was the result of a friend's challenge to make music from the sound of his barking bulldog falling into a lake (11 - G.R.S.)!

Warning: This video contains some flashing images.

Explore more teaching resources for Elgar's variations using the links below.