# Dorabella Cipher as Musical Inspiration

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17950 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.17950/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 0 of its 18 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 22 Sep 2025.

## Abstract (arXiv)

The Dorabella cipher is an encrypted note written by English composer Edward Elgar, which has defied decipherment attempts for more than a century. While most proposed solutions are English texts, we investigate the hypothesis that Dorabella represents enciphered music. We weigh the evidence for and against the hypothesis, devise a simplified music notation, and attempt to reconstruct a melody from the cipher. Our tools are n-gram models of music which we validate on existing music corpora enciphered using monoalphabetic substitution. By applying our methods to Dorabella, we produce a decipherment with musical qualities, which is then transformed via artful composition into a listenable melody. Far from arguing that the end result represents the only true solution, we instead frame the process of decipherment as part of the composition process.