This piece is part of a collection of 14 pieces titled "Enigma Variations", each piece being a variation of a main music theme through changes in harmony, melody, orchestration and many other factors. However this music theme is not apparent in Elgar's collection of variations (this is the reason of the word "enigma" in the title), so this music remains enigmatic even today. Many musicologists are still trying to find the hidden main theme and solve the mystery, although with no success.
Each piece of this collection portrays a different friend of the composer who stood beside him during the first difficult days of his career.
"Nimrod", named after the biblical reference to Noah's great-grandson of the same name who was a gifted hunter, portrays a conversation between Elgar and his friend editor Jaeger (in German this name translates to 'hunter'), a German-born musician, who had offered the composer valuable artistic guidance and support throughout his frequent crises of depression and occasional lack of confidence in his work.
Elgar tried to capture in his music and its slow rhythm, Jaeger's nobility and a long summer warm conversation between Elgar and Jaeger on the beauty of Beethoven's slow music.
"Nimrod" is a sad piece, bringing tears to many of those who hear it. Elgar uses tricks such as going progressively from quieter to louder or interchanging "piano" with "forte", to build anticipation and even more emotional intensity in his music.