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Intensifying an already intense theme? Sounds like a recipe for disaster


caters

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I was told that in a Theme and Variations piece, the first variation is often a faster version of the original theme. Um, how would that work if the original theme is already on the fast end of Allegro like the first theme of Beethoven's fifth, which I am basing The Beethoven Variations off of? The most frequent way I see a speed up in variations is increasing rhythmic intensity, like eighths becoming sixteenths for example. Though I do certainly see increased tempo as well.



This shows what I mean, the first 2 variations that Mozart wrote here both have 1 part at original speed and the other being intensified. Here is what Mozart does to vary the theme:
 

Variation Bass Melody Dynamic Tempo Rhythm Other
Variation I Normal speed Quarter notes become sixteenths Quieter No change No change  
Variation II Quarter notes become sixteenths Normal speed Closer to original No change No change  
Variation III Original speed Triplets instead of sixteenths Getting louder No change Triple meter feel  
Variation IV Triplets Original speed More variable No change Still triple meter feel  
Variation V Off the beat on beat 1 Off the beat on beat 2 Variable No change Feels slower because of syncopation  
Variation VI Intensified in A section, staccato in B section Stacatto in A section, intensified in B section More variable than Variation IV No change Back to on the beat  
Variation VII Back to quarter notes Keeps the rhythmic intensity Louder No change No change  
Variation VIII More melodic in nature Rhythmic slowdown Quieter Slower Slower Modulated to parallel minor
Variation IX Back to quarter notes Back to quarter notes A bit louder Original tempo Original speed Modulated back to parallel major, poco ritard at the end
Variation X Original speed Off the beat sixteenths Louder No change Intensified  
Variation XI More melodic A bit elaborated but not much Quieter Much slower Intensity is down a little  
Variation XII Constant sixteenths Lots of ornamentations Loud Much faster Intense Time signature changed, longest of them all



But the theme that I am basing my Theme and Variations off of, the first theme of Beethoven's fifth, is already intense, both dynamically and rhythmically, what with the constant presence of the Fate Motif and the tempo being on the fast end of Allegro. It isn't like the theme Mozart used in my example, which was slow and nocturnal feeling. It is much easier to intensify a nocturnal theme than it is to intensify an already intense theme. In fact, intensifying a theme that is already both rhythmically and dynamically intense sounds like a recipe for disaster.

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