Short answers, pulled from the story.
Edward Elgar was born on the 2nd of June 1857 in the small village of Lower Broadheath, near Worcester, England. He was born into a family that defined his lifelong sense of being an outsider within the predominantly Protestant society of Victorian Britain.
Edward Elgar produced the Enigma Variations in 1899, a set of fourteen variations on an original theme that carries a hidden theme running through the entire set but is never heard. This enigma has puzzled musicologists for over a century and adds a layer of intrigue to a work that stands as a testament to his mastery of orchestration.
Edward Elgar was knighted at Buckingham Palace on the 5th of July 1904. The Three Choirs Festival in 1904 featured a three-day celebration of his works, an honor never before given to any English composer, with the King and Queen in attendance.
The Cello Concerto composed by Edward Elgar in 1919 suffered a disastrous premiere due to inadequate rehearsal time, with the orchestra making a lamentable exhibition of itself. Despite the poor performance, the work was recognized by critics as lovely stuff with profound wisdom and beauty underlying its simplicity.
Alice Elgar, the composer's wife, died of lung cancer on the 7th of April 1920, at the age of seventy-two. Her death devastated Edward Elgar, who was deprived of her constant support and inspiration, and he allowed himself to be deflected from composition.
Edward Elgar died on the 23rd of February 1934 at the age of seventy-six and was buried next to his wife at St Wulstan's Roman Catholic Church in Little Malvern. The Third Symphony sketches were elaborated by the composer Anthony Payne into a complete score in 1997.