# Eroica Variations (opus 35) -- LvB



## ibrahim (Apr 29, 2017)

I have discovered another "Beethoven moment" that will continue to haunt me in the next months/years.

I had listened to the opus 35 several times before but the final variation didn't stick out to me at those times like it did this weekend. Beethoven chooses to make the final variation (of 15) as rhapsodic, pained and colorful as possible. It's the longest variation in the set. It's devastating.

The whole work is worth a listen if you're not familiar with it. The 15th variation is at 14:10 and lasts about three minutes:


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

A very great work! The final variation is discussed in an extensive and laudatory review of the Op. 35 published in 1804. It was obviously written from the sheet music (as was normal in those days), not from a performance.

"The finale _fugato _conveys solid contrapuntal knowledge chastened by refined taste. These will bring joy to the connoisseur and to the educated art lover. After the theme has shown itself as middle part here and as upper part there, always correctly supported by its accompaniment, an excellent and fortunate idea shows itself in the passage in which the theme appears as _al rovescio_. It is the last measure of the 5th system on the 17th page. Also, among so much excellence, the sequence of thoughts up to the insertion in B-flat at the end on the same page deserves special mention.

"However, enough of this. What has already been mentioned may suffice to arouse the curiosity of connoisseurs and educated art lovers. I want to call these variations, among the latest fruits of this genre, the_ variations par excellence_."


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## ibrahim (Apr 29, 2017)

I think the work is "15 variations and a fugue" correct? Is that passage referring to the fugue or to the 15th variation?


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## ibrahim (Apr 29, 2017)

Of course the fugue is amazing as well.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

ibrahim said:


> I think the work is "15 variations and a fugue" correct? Is that passage referring to the fugue or to the 15th variation?


It refers to the _Finale: Alla fuga_, which comes after the 15th variation. Burt I see you were referring to the 15th variation, which I remembered (wrongly) as being the fugue. Sorry!


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

ibrahim said:


> I have discovered another "Beethoven moment" that will continue to haunt me in the next months/years.
> 
> I had listened to the opus 35 several times before but the final variation didn't stick out to me at those times like it did this weekend. Beethoven chooses to make the final variation (of 15) as rhapsodic, pained and colorful as possible. It's the longest variation in the set. It's devastating.
> 
> The whole work is worth a listen if you're not familiar with it. The 15th variation is at 14:10 and lasts about three minutes:


There's an interesting performance of this variation by Maria Yudina.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Bravo Beethoven!

Marvelous performance by Richter!


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