Diabelli Variations

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The 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli Op. 120, most commonly referred to as the Diabelli Variations, are a set of variations for the piano by Ludwig van Beethoven on a waltz composed by Anton Diabelli. Originally titled 33 Veränderungen über einen Walzer von Diabelli, they were written from 1819 to 1823. In the work's title, Beethoven chose to use the German word Veränderungen, meaning "transformations" as opposed to the conventional Italian-derived Variationen.

The piece was written after Anton Diabelli, a well known music publisher as well as a composer, sent a simple waltz to most of the major contemporary Viennese composers (including Schubert and the 8 year-old Liszt), asking each of them to write a variation on it. His intention was to publish all the variations in one volume, making an anthology of what he saw as the most important composers of the time. Fifty composers responded, and their variations were published as Vaterländische Künstlerverein (Patriotic Artists' Association).

Beethoven, according to legend, initially dismissed the theme as 'a cobbler's patch' and far too banal and mediocre to be worth his time, but later came to see enormous potential within it. Rather than submitting a single variation he composed a set of thirty-three. Diabelli published Beethoven's variations in a separate volume to the rest.

The Variations were composed in Beethoven's twilight years (by which time he was stone deaf), therefore being representative of the reflective, deep, cerebral style of his late period. Because of the enormous scope and variety of composition, lengthy performance time (over an hour), and the ambitious nature of the work; as well as the advanced technical and psychological challenge for the performer, these variations are often compared to (or seen as an answer to) Bach's Goldberg Variations.

Diabelli Variations

Tema: Vivace
Variation 1: Alla marcia maestoso
Variation 2: Poco allegro
Variation 3: L’istesso tempo
Variation 4: Un poco più vivace
Variation 5: Allegro vivace
Variation 6: Allegro ma non troppo e serioso
Variation 7: Un poco più allegro
Variation 8: Poco vivace
Variation 9: Allegro pesante e risoluto
Variation 10: Presto
Variation 11: Allegretto
Variation 12: Un poco più moto
Variation 13: Vivace
Variation 14: Grave e maestoso
Variation 15: Presto scherzando
Variation 16: Allegro

Variation 17: Allegro
Variation 18: Poco moderato
Variation 19: Presto
Variation 20: Andante
Variation 21: Allegro con brio – Meno allegro – Tempo primo
Variation 22: Allegro molto, alla ‘Notte e giorno faticar’ di Mozart
Variation 23: Allegro assai
Variation 24: Fughetta (Andante)
Variation 25: Allegro
Variation 26: (Piacevole)
Variation 27: Vivace
Variation 28: Allegro
Variation 29: Adagio ma non troppo
Variation 30: Andante, sempre cantabile
Variation 31: Largo, molto espressivo
Variation 32: Fuga: Allegro
Variation 33: Tempo di Menuetto moderato

External links

[Beethoven's variations for piano in midi format]

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