# Which theme would you write variations on?



## schuberkovich (Apr 7, 2013)

I thought this would be fun.

Say you had the variation-writing prowess of Bach, Beethoven or Brahms...

Which theme from an existing piece of music would you choose to write your set of 20 or so variations on?
Bear in mind the usual qualities of variation themes - self-contained, expandable qualities etc...

Have fun


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

the theme from Z -Cars 




first thing that came into my head - eek!


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

"Coronach" a.k.a the theme from BBC 4's "Blood of the British" by Dee Palmer and Jethro Tull (Ian Anderson). Such a stunning beautiful melody!






On the other hand, I wouldn't want to sully it.


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## schuberkovich (Apr 7, 2013)

There are lots of possibilities, but one I think would be the opening theme of Schubert's D946 no.1. All it needs is for the theme to resolve back into E flat minor!
Here's the section - from 0:00 to 0:39:




It somehow seems just like a variation theme - it has a distinctive harmonic progression, and the melody is beautiful but not 'untouchably' so.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

"Devoted to you" by the Everly Brothers.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I would love to compose variations on the Russian folk song Korobeiniki.


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## hreichgott (Dec 31, 2012)

The hymn tune Hyfrydol. Simple tune but with intriguing possibilities.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Yankee Doodle would be fun and silly
Chopin, Preludes 7 in A flat, and 20 in C minor. Both have been used for variations before, but they're such spacious melodies with untapped potential.
Frere Jacques would also be fun


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Hey, I've got it! Paganini's 24th Caprice!


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2014)

I think of this kind of thing often. 

Faure comes to mind fairly often - I see him as a wonderful melodist that hasn't been beaten to death 

I also think it would be fun to write classical music with variations based on non-classical themes, though these can be a little limited since non-classical music tends to have shorter melodic lines...


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Hey, I've got it! Paganini's 24th Caprice!


There's an original thought. Get in line! :lol::lol:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

hpowders said:


> There's an original thought. Get in line! :lol::lol:


That bait was just for you, h! :tiphat:


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> That bait was just for you, h! :tiphat:


Ha! Ha! I believe even Lutoslawski has two compositions in the Paganini 24th Caprice sweepstakes.

The first time I heard the 24th Caprice, I deliberately went through all the preceding Caprices first to build tension; didn't count on bathroom visits; my mistake.

Then after finally hearing the 24th Caprice as written by Paganini, I was disappointed, emoting to my dog with the blank expression on his face, "I like the Rachmaninoff version better!!!"

I was spring cleaning this afternoon and found this little waltz by some Diabelli dude.
Sounds like it's variation prone. I'll get back to you guys on that.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Hey, I've got it! Paganini's 24th Caprice!


Already taken, the eccentric Swedish Composer Claude Loyola Allgén (1920-1990) wrote a concerto he named "I Capricci", 24 movements each a set of variations on the same numbers Paganini Capriccio, the work was about two hours and 10 mins long.. Unfortunatly, Allgén choose to live a life in poverty (after having converted to Catholicism in his thirties and being inspired by Saint Benedict) and burned to his death in a house fire that also consumed many of his manuscripts, in the case of I Capricci only partly..










First page of this work!

Unfortunately there's very little written about Allgén in English, here's a *link to a Swedish Tribute* page with a few things..

/ptr


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## Whistler Fred (Feb 6, 2014)

I;d love to take a Medieval tune, such as _Ontre Todalas_ and see if I could create variations that were contemporary while maintaining a "Medieval" flavor.


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

The simple and moving little theme "Theology/Civilization" from the Conan the Barbarian score by Basil Poledouris.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

The 18th century harp tune, David of the White Rock: 




I would make the harp a little jazzy and bring in some mystic flutes, and then a capering violin. The idea would be a round trip to the Celtic Otherworld and back.


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## Aarontastic (Feb 5, 2016)

Les Niais de Sologne by JP Rameau has some really catchy material. I'd also like to do a T&V with the promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition; I know it was varied a lot in that piece, but I don't think I'd ever get tired of mixing it up.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Back when I was still religious and went to church all the time, one of my favorite hymns was "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord" and I still think it's a pretty beautiful piece as far as your average hymn goes. I've always thought it would make a good theme to write variations on, and I still have plans in the back of my mind to do so. Some of the harmonic and rhythmic quirks in the hymn would be really fun to work with.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

I always thought "All the Pretty Horses" had potential:






Also "Wayfaring Stranger"


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

The folk song "On The Banks Of Allan Water". I actually started doodling with it at the piano one day years ago and one or two surprisingly coherent variations began to emerge, but I never followed it up. Perhaps I should try again. Meanwhile (hope this works) here's Adelina Patti singing it:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3UnZT0ioFE


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The same one Haydn did. The German National Anthem.


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## Stirling (Nov 18, 2015)

from my symphony in C, Wagner_Siegfried_


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