Celebrating the Variation

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  • kea
    Full Member
    • Dec 2013
    • 749

    #16
    Two stand out:

    33 Variations on a Theme by Diabelli, Op. 120
    5 1/2 Variations on a Variation of a Theme by Diabelli, Op. 111/ii

    And a few others -

    6 Variations on the Westminster Chimes, Op. 109/iii
    4 1/2 Variations on the A-flat Major Scale, Op. 127/ii
    4 Pedestrian Variations, Op. 135/iii

    My favourite arrangement of the Bach chaconne is actually Schumann's, for violin and piano. Brahms LH alone is a close second. And as long as Brahms is here, the slow movement of Op. 18 and the Variations on a Theme of Schumann Op. 9.

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    • Bryn
      Banned
      • Mar 2007
      • 24688

      #17
      Originally posted by LeMartinPecheur View Post
      This disc has given me loads of pleasure: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.h...EBSZPEC03J0FK5

      Not quite complete, of course....

      ....hasn't got the Rachmaninov variations
      That's not a disc. It's a promo for Amazon's video streaming service.

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      • LeMartinPecheur
        Full Member
        • Apr 2007
        • 4717

        #18
        Originally posted by Bryn View Post
        That's not a disc. It's a promo for Amazon's video streaming service.
        Ho-hum, dunno how that happened! Try this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Variations-F...words=la+folia Earlier post duly corrected
        I keep hitting the Escape key, but I'm still here!

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        • gurnemanz
          Full Member
          • Nov 2010
          • 7380

          #19
          Favorites off the top of my head would be Death and the Maiden and Brahms Op 18, already mentioned. Also Schumann's Abegg (with S Richter)

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          • EnemyoftheStoat
            Full Member
            • Nov 2010
            • 1132

            #20
            One of my favourites, Berg's Variationen from the Lulu suite.

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            • jayne lee wilson
              Banned
              • Jul 2011
              • 10711

              #21
              Some luscious French sets: Vincent D'Indy - Istar (so seductive, you know it'll be great from the first few bars...) and ​Choral Varie for​ Sax & orchestra ; the Chant Varie 3rd movement from Magnard's Third Symphony...

              Stravinsky used the form throughout his oeuvre from Pulcinella to Octet, Ebony Concerto and the Huxley Variations; I especially like the rarely-encountered Chorale-Variations on Von Himmel Hoch...


              David Matthews stunning 6th Symphony is in 3 movements, both of the last 2 - a 4 minute scherzo and an 18-minute moderato are in variation-form...

              Lovely sets from Dohnanyi in his Op 19 Suite & Twinkle-twinkle Variations..... (I only mention this to say - did anyone else buy...The Smiling Spider ?)
              Last edited by jayne lee wilson; 03-08-14, 02:26.

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              • gamba
                Late member
                • Dec 2010
                • 575

                #22
                Beethoven, qt. Op. 131. 4th. Movement. 6 variations & a coda.

                I Know of nothing to equal this.

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                • Pabmusic
                  Full Member
                  • May 2011
                  • 5537

                  #23
                  Two Schumann works that are clear precursors of the Enigma Variations:

                  Carnaval and the Etudes Symphoniques.

                  Both are very free sets of variations.

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                  • ahinton
                    Full Member
                    • Nov 2010
                    • 16122

                    #24
                    Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post
                    Some luscious French sets: Vincent D'Indy - Istar (so seductive, you know it'll be great from the first few bars...) and ​Choral Varie for​ Sax & orchestra ; the Chant Varie 3rd movement from Magnard's Third Symphony...
                    Ah, yes, wonderful things both!

                    Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post
                    [/I]David Matthews stunning 6th Symphony is in 3 movements, both of the last 2 - a 4 minute scherzo and an 18-minute moderato are in variation-form...
                    One of his best works, I think; certainly the finest of all of his pieces that I've heard.

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                    • ahinton
                      Full Member
                      • Nov 2010
                      • 16122

                      #25
                      Originally posted by gamba View Post
                      Beethoven, qt. Op. 131. 4th. Movement. 6 variations & a coda.

                      I Know of nothing to equal this.
                      A hard act to follow, indeed, although the variations from the same composer's Op. 127 and those from his Op. 135 quartets run it failry close, methinks. It's hard to believe that these works were written by the same composer as the egregious Emperor Concerto, which a pianist colleague once described to me as a classic example of Beethoven going on and on being pompous in E flat!

                      (I hope that FF doesn't put me on a warning for the above...)

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                      • aeolium
                        Full Member
                        • Nov 2010
                        • 3992

                        #26
                        I'm also interested in the way certain themes continue to be of interest to composers, such as the theme from Paganini's Caprice no 24, used inter alia by Brahms, Rachmaninov and Lutoslawski. And also Beethoven's fascination with the theme he used in the variations op 35*, the Creatures of Prometheus ballet and the finale of the Eroica symphony (and I think an 1802 sketch for a string quartet movement, not pursued, used the theme). Is there something special about such themes, or is it simply a matter of composers ransacking their own or other composers' material when inspiration flags?

                        * there is a quite wonderful recording of these by Richter which I have on an old Olympia CD.

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                        • gamba
                          Late member
                          • Dec 2010
                          • 575

                          #27
                          For a lighthearted approach the Tschaikowsky Rococo variations for Orch. & 'cello are great fun.

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                          • kea
                            Full Member
                            • Dec 2013
                            • 749

                            #28
                            A theme I wish someone (Schumann, Brahms, Reger, Tchaikovsky... whoever) had written variations on: the Alla danza tedesca from Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 130.

                            That would be a great variation theme.

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                            • gamba
                              Late member
                              • Dec 2010
                              • 575

                              #29
                              It would not be right to ignore those who wrote for the viol family. To me, above all, is the name of Christopher Simpson, who produced many delightful ' divisions ' ( variations ). Also, not to be forgotten, Thomas Tomkins, William Lawes, John Jenkins, Godfrey Finger & others, including someone making a name for himself called H. Purcell.

                              ( & these are only a selection of the English ones).

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                              • salymap
                                Late member
                                • Nov 2010
                                • 5969

                                #30
                                Originally posted by gamba View Post
                                For a lighthearted approach the Tschaikowsky Rococo variations for Orch. & 'cello are great fun.
                                I was just about to mention the Tchaikovsky. Heard it live played played by Tortelier several times gamba

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