Celebrating the Variation

[kea]

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.

[Bryn]

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.

[LeMartinPecheur]

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

[gurnemanz]

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)

[EnemyoftheStoat]

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

[jayne lee wilson]

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 ?)

[gamba]

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

I Know of nothing to equal this.

[Pabmusic]

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

Carnaval and the Etudes Symphoniques.

Both are very free sets of variations.

[ahinton]

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!

[/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.

[ahinton]

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...)

[aeolium]

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.

[gamba]

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

[kea]

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.

[gamba]

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).

[salymap]

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