Variations on a late Beethoven Bagatelle sketch

Variations on a late Beethoven Bagatelle sketch

Recently a short sketch for a Bagatelle from 1826 was identified among Beethoven's sketches. On this beautiful melancholic piece I enlarged a bit the second theme and wrote 7 variations for piano elaborating the melody itself as also the bass line: Theme Andante - Allegretto - Moderato - Allegro - Allegro agitato - Canzonetta cantabile - Lento - Allegro ma non troppo (Fugato).

You may read it and listen to it at:

www.gerdprengel.de/var_bagatelle.pdf

www.gerdprengel.de/var_bagatelle.mp3

What do you think of this?

Regards

Gerd

Let me first say that Beethoven is my favorite composer. This is a very interesting set of theme and variations. Before I comment any further I want to ask if you yourself are a pianist and if you intended to write this piece in the style of Beethoven. I await your reply.

I do think your contributions miss the emotional depth compared to what Beethoven wrote. But who can blame you for that. I did really enjoy it. I think you managed to write in a beethovian manner. I enjoyed the original theme the most from the variations.

To me this was a very well done work. Not staying to close to the melody but not going way to far which made me enjoy it all the more. My biggest problem is that the first few variations seem to be to much alike to each other. But you did pull through when you changed key, my thoughts are maybe just play with order or change key with those. But overall I liked it.

... Before I comment any further I want to ask if you yourself are a pianist and if you intended to write this piece in the style of Beethoven...

No, unfortuneatelly I am not a pianist. I did not primarilly wanted to write in the style of Beethoven, but because no piano music I love and adore as the music from Beethoven and Schubert a glimpse of the style of these two certainly may shine through these variations.

Gerd

I enjoyed the original theme the most from the variations.

I should mentioned that measures 9-12 in the theme presentation are not by Beethoven but added by me, also the left hand of measures 5-8.

I should mentioned that measures 9-12 in the theme presentation are not by Beethoven but added by me, also the left hand of measures 5-8.

I ment your first variation actually. I enjoyed your first variation on that theme presented, mostly, by beethoven.