Elgar's Enigma Theme with "Ein feste Burg" (A Mighty Fortress) in retrograde

This melodic mapping demonstrates how "Ein feste Burg" (A Mighty Fortress) plays backward as a retrograde counterpoint "through and over'' the Enigma Theme from Edward Elgar's symphonic Enigma Variations. There are 31 melodic note conjunctions between “Ein feste Burg’ and the Enigma Theme. There are an additional 46 harmonic note conjunctions between “Ein feste Burg” and the harmonic structure of the Enigma Theme. The combined total is 77 note conjunctions between the melody of “Ein feste Burg” in retrograde and the Enigma Theme's short score. This mapping is achieved through the application of free rhythm using the standard contrapuntal devices of augmentation and diminution. The Enigma Theme's ABA'C structure suggested this unconventional mapping because it is a phonetic spelling of "aback," a word that means "backward" and "surprise." To learn more, visit http://enigmathemeunmasked.blogspot.com/2012/09/table-of-contents.html