Editing Enigma Variations (section)

===Variation IX (''Adagio'') "Nimrod"===
The name of the variation refers to [[August Jaeger|Augustus J. Jaeger]], who was employed as a music editor by the London publisher Novello & Co. He was a close friend of Elgar's, giving him useful advice but also severe criticism, something Elgar greatly appreciated. Elgar later related how Jaeger had encouraged him as an artist and had stimulated him to continue composing despite setbacks. [[Nimrod]] is described in the [[Old Testament]] as "a mighty hunter before the Lord", ''Jäger'' (which can also be spelt ''Jaeger'') being German for hunter.

"Nimrod" is composed as a Baroque Sarabande, a dance in 3 time, with the emphasis often on the second beat of the bar.

In 1904, Elgar told Dora Penny ("Dorabella") that this variation is not really a portrait, but "the story of something that happened".<ref>As she wrote later in her book {{harv|Powell|1947|pp=110–111}}.</ref> Once, when Elgar had been very depressed and was about to give it all up and write no more music, Jaeger had visited him and encouraged him to continue composing. He referred to [[Ludwig van Beethoven]], who had a lot of worries, but wrote more and more beautiful music. "And that is what ''you'' must do", Jaeger said, and he sang the theme of the second movement of Beethoven's [[Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)|Piano Sonata No. 8 ''Pathétique'']]. Elgar disclosed to Dora that the opening bars of "Nimrod" were made to suggest that theme. "Can't you hear it at the beginning? Only a hint, not a quotation."

This variation is very famous within British culture, often used at British funerals, memorial services and other ceremonial occasions. It is always played at the [[The Cenotaph, Whitehall|Cenotaph]], Whitehall in London at the [[National Service of Remembrance#Traditional music|National Service of Remembrance]]. A version was also played during the [[Hong Kong handover ceremony]] in 1997, at the [[2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony#Prologue|opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games]], and during the 2022 [[BBC Proms]] after the season was cut short due to the [[Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II|death of Queen Elizabeth II]]. The "Nimrod" variation was the final orchestral composition (before the national anthem) played by the Greek National Orchestra in a televised June 2013 concert, before the 75-year-old Athenian ensemble was dissolved in the wake of severe government cutbacks to televised programming.<ref>{{cite news|title=Greek tragedy: Orchestra plays emotional farewell as state broadcaster closes|url=http://www.itv.com/news/2013-06-17/greek-tragedy-orchestra-plays-emotional-farewell-as-state-broadcaster-closes/|work=ITV News|date=17 June 2013|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref>

An adaptation of the piece appears at the ending of the 2017 film ''[[Dunkirk (2017 film)|Dunkirk]]'' in the score by [[Hans Zimmer]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/31/christopher-nolans-wartime-epic|title=Christopher Nolan's Wartime Epic|first=Anthony|last=Lane|author-link=Anthony Lane|date=24 July 2017|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=2 September 2021|archive-date=24 July 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170724023812/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/31/christopher-nolans-wartime-epic|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2017/07/19/retreat-victory-dunkirk/9iwdLxl3e1X1eoC1IqXsNI/story.html|title=''Dunkirk'' is a towering achievement, made with craft, sinew, and honesty|first=Ty|last=Burr|author-link=Ty Burr|date=20 July 2017|access-date=2 September 2021|website=[[The Boston Globe]]|archive-date=24 July 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170724025451/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2017/07/19/retreat-victory-dunkirk/9iwdLxl3e1X1eoC1IqXsNI/story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>