The term 'ELGAR'S 'ENIGMA VARIATIONS'' refers to a set of musical variations composed by Edward Elgar in 1899. The variations were based on a theme that Elgar had written for his friend, and the title of the piece is derived from the fact that the theme was a musical ENIGMA. The variations are considered one of Elgar's most important works and have been performed and recorded by many orchestras and conductors.