Sir Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934) was probably the mostprominent English composer of the turn of this century. He had no for-mal musical training but came from a musical family; his father playedorgan at St. Georges Roman Catholic Church in Worcester and owned amusic store. He began composing at the age of ten for a family play. One of his most beloved works is Variations on an OriginalTheme known popularly as Enigma Variations - written for orchestra. The enigma concerns aspects of the theme itself, what its meaning isand also the identity of another - unstated - theme that overshadows thevariations yet is never actually played. The fourteen variations wereconcieved as character sketches of friends of Elgars, including himselfand his wife. Nimrod is a nickname for Elgars publisher, A. J. Jaeger. Jaeger means hunter in german and Nimrod is a mighty hunter of theOld Testament Bible.
Scott Hartman received his BM and MM degrees from theEastman School of Music and began his career by joining the EmpireBrass Quintet and the Boston University faculty in 1984. As a trombonesoloist and with his various chamber ensembles, Scott has taught andplayed concerts in all fifty United States and throughout the world. Mr. Hartman presently performs and records with Proteus7, the MillenniumBrass, the Brass Band of Battle Creek and the trombone quartet - Fourof a Kind. Scott heads the trombone departments of Yale University andBoston University. At the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Mr. Hartman teaches a two-week workshop for aspiring trombonists. Moreinformation concerning Mr. Hartman and his present activities is avail-able at his website www. slushpump. com
