# Any ideas on varying a Mozart theme?



## caters

I have always wanted to compose a Theme and Variations. I got the idea yesterday of taking a Mozart theme and varying it. Now I have gotten even more specific. Even though the Turkish March is not my favorite Mozart piece(his 40th symphony is my favorite or if talking specifically piano works, the K 545 is my favorite), it does have what I think is an excellent theme to develop into a theme and variations. That is the beginning A minor section in ABA' form. 

There are multiple reasons that I think this is a great theme to develop into a theme and variations but perhaps the strongest reason of all is that Mozart does not even touch that theme when it comes to development, he only develops the A major and F# minor sections of the rondo. The repeat of the A minor theme is a pure repeat, no note changes at all.

Since Mozart does not develop this beginning theme, that means I can do whatever I want with it in terms of development. I could have a variation where it goes from a March rhythm to a Waltz rhythm and the time signature changes respectively. I could have it modulate to another key like say Bb major via a pivot chord. I could do anything to it. Thing is, well, variations tend to build on each other so the second variation will often be more intense than the first variation and so on as you get more and more variations. 

This is what makes Theme and Variations harder than it seems. With each progressing variation it tends to get more intense but you somehow have to have a satisfactory ending to it and not leave the listener hanging on a fleeting cadence. I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to vary the A minor theme of Mozart's Turkish March(bars 1-25 of the piece).


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