Variations [antikvár]

CONTENTS page I Variations on an Original Theme, op. 21 No. 1, for Piano 3 II. Variations on a Hungarian Song, op. 21 No. 2, for Piano 15 III. Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Händel, op. 24, for Piano 25 IVa. Variations on a Theme by Paganini, op. 35, Book 1, for Piano 47 h. Variations on a Theme by Paganini, op. 35, Book 2, for Piano 63 V. Variations on a Theme by Schumann, op. 9, for Piano 79 VI. Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op. 56b, for Two Pianos 96 notes Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), often considered the most direct "successor" of Beethoven, certainly shared with the older composer a fondness of the variation form, which both explored thoroughly. It is interesting that their intellects found satisfaction in developing suitable themes by means of the variation, whereas Bach, in an earlier day, was challenged to employ principally fugal treatment. For a discussion of the Variation form as such, the reader is referred to any standard text on musical form, or to a dictionary of musical terms (e.g., Apel's Harvard Dictionary of Music). From a study of the works in this volume, which constitute the major portion of Brahms' output in variation form, it is possible to gain an understanding of his methods in this medium. — Op. 9, the theme of which is taken from Schumann's Bunte Blätter, op. 99 (Albumblatt No. 1), contains evidence of Brahms' contrapuntal learning (see, for instance, Var. 10), as do also all the other works included here. — Op. 21, Nos. 1 and 2, are considered, e.g. by W. Niemann in his biography of Brahms, as being less popular than the other works in this volume because they are very much in the nature of an intellectual feat. The 9-bar length of the period of the Original Theme (instead of the more usual 8 bars), and similar irregularities in the Hungarian Theme, must have appealed to Brahms' skill. Op. 24 is a technical as well as a musical tour de force for any pianist, and is frequently heard in the concert halls. The theme is from the first Harpsichord Suite by Handel, who himself wrote 5 variations on the same theme. — Even more demanding technically is op. 35. Its theme is from the familiar Paganini Caprice No. 24 for Violin. Each variation is a study dealing with a specific technical problem. Op. 56b is one of the many arrangements Brahms made of works of his own. The original (op. 56a) is scored for orchestra. Note, here too, the irregular periods of the theme (5 + 5, then 4 + 4, then 4 + 4 + 4 bars); it is known as "St. Anthony's Chorale" and is from the second movement of an orchestral divertimento which until recently was ascribed to Haydn but is now believed to have been composed by one of his students. The present edition is a photographic reduction, from Vols. 11 and 13, of the dehnuive eduion of Brahms' works by the Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde.