ABSTRACT
The first of Elgar's two strikingly similar sayings has incited speculation for nearly a century. The second, made in a letter to Ernest Newman of 26 September 1913, a week before the first performance ofOp.68, has attracted less attention. There is no mystery attached to it, for Elgar wrote out his 'failings & sorrows' theme:
Ex. 1
and its first occurs in Falstaff as the second half of a cantabile e largamente theme at 6 bars after figure 64.
