Jump to content

Favorite set of Variations???


PeterthePapercomPoser

Recommended Posts

The Beethoven variations in C minor are definitely up there (as well as his Diabelli variations).

My absolute favorite set of variations though is by a lesser known (and in my opinion, incredibly underrated) French pianist-composer, Charles-Valentin Alkan, his "etude" Le Festin D'Esope where each variation is supposed to represent animal from Aesop's fables.

Here's a version with the sheet music.

 

Though, this is the best overall performance of these variations in my opinion:

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 32 Variations in C minor is up there, definitely. I've heard that it's like a Baroque Chaconne(Variations on the melody over a repeated, usually short bass). But my favorites would have to include the 18 variations on the Ode to Joy theme of Beethoven's Ninth that I so carefully timestamped in the comments of this video and got a lot of thanks for:

In fact, most of the Theme and Variations I have heard have been in the form of either symphony movements(Beethoven 3 and 9(both in the Finale after an intense start)), concerto movements(Mozart PC 24(Andante movement) and HC 2(the Rondo of HC 2 essentially is a Theme and Variations in disguise)), or Chaconnes of Bach and Pachelbel, and not an isolated Theme and Variations labeled such(although a few I listened to are like that including 32 Variations in C minor by Beethoven and 12 Variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Mozart).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a few variation sets I've been enjoying as of late (mostly Slavic in origin), here are some of them:

Vasyl Barvinsky - Variations for piano sextet: 

Vissarion Shebalin - Piano Trio, mvt. 3: 

Anton Arensky - Variations On a Theme by Tchaikovsky (from String Quartet no. 2, mvt. 2): 

 

Boris Lyatoshynsky - Piano Trio no. 2, mvt. 4: 

 

I also like the Beethoven C minor variations, they are probably the most quintessential of all variations. But these are just some I think are also really great, and really creative.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Probably the 2nd movement of Beethoven's Op.127. If not that then the 3rd movement of the Op.135, the 2nd from the Op.111 or the finale from the 3rd symphony. And if you consider the Art of Fugue some kind of meta set variations that one of course. Also still waiting to the day I can properly understand the 4th movement of Beethoven's Op.131.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...