Joseph Szigeti - the 1900's

from With strings attached- Reminiscences and reflections, 2nd edition, enlarged, page 81:

Such “problem pictures” had a parallel in music, too. As I look back on that time by Sir Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations (what superb performances of this work have I heard by Nikisch!), I cannot help speculating on the possibility that it was partly due to these typically Edwardian elements of the cryptic and the argument-provoking- in short, due to the “Royal Academy problem picture” element- that this beautifully wrought work largely owes its popular appeal.
cite as

Joseph Szigeti, With strings attached- Reminiscences and reflections, 2nd edition, enlarged (New York, 1967), p. 81. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1432474916787 accessed: 14 November, 2024

Listeners

Joseph Szigeti
Violinist
1892-1973

Listening to

hide composers
Enigma Variations
written by Edward Elgar
performed by Nikisch

Experience Information

Date/Time the 1900's
Medium live

Notes

“Royal Academy problem pictures” (1895-1914) were part of a set of Royal Academy shows at Burlington House. It was a genre that, although almost forgotten today, was an extraordinarily popular feature of the annual Royal Academy exhibitions in Edwardian London. The term referred to ambiguous, and often slightly risqué, paintings of modern life which invited multiple, equally plausible interpretations.


Originally submitted by tlisboa on Sun, 24 May 2015 14:41:56 +0100
Approved on Mon, 11 Jan 2016 18:02:51 +0000