Enigma Encore
Enigma Encore was composed for Copenhagen Piano Quartet as an "encore"
piece in 2015. It is based on a theme by Danish composer Hans Christian
Lumbye (1810 to 1874). The main theme is from the last Finale
in a ballet, Livjaegerne fra Amager
.
The general idea is modern, but easy-going music, with variation, wit
and some surprise elements. Enigma
in the title refers to the gradual
disclosure of the theme, and to the fact that it is never presented in
it's original form. Time was limited to around 3 minutes, and it was
composed in less than two weeks.
The Finale music notation program simulations (that are used for most of the excerpts), are far from perfect. I could have used recordings from an actual performance, but the simulations provide a "neutral" interpretation, and together with the score, they give a fairly relevant picture of the music in question.