Cocktail Party Fact: The “Enigma” is a tune that supposedly fits when played with the main theme, but is never stated. Elgar himself never revealed the secret, and while there has been much speculation since, there is no consensus as to the true answer.

Commitment Factor: About 35 minutes

Vital Statistics: Romantic Period (1899). Each variation of the initial tune represents one of Elgar’s friends. Although the variations follow each other without pause, they are complete in themselves, making a work that falls into many small sections.

What to Listen For: The high point of the piece is “Nimrod,” one of the great Romantic slow movements packed into a very small space. The second variation represents the composer’s wife, and the finale represents the composer himself: the two are united at the end. Finally, one variation represents a bulldog falling into a river on his way to retrieving a stick. Try to figure out which one it is before peeking at any program or album notes you may have.