# Theme and Variations



## ProudSquire (Nov 30, 2011)

Do you like it, or do you simply not care for it? If you like it, which I happen to, then please post some of your favorite pieces that employ this charming yet simple form. 

I'll start with a few that I happen to enjoy a great deal:

Third movement from Mozart's 24th piano concerto
Fourth movement from his clarinet quintet
Fourth movement from his string quartet in D minor
Second movement from Beethoven's late quartet No.12 Op.127
Second movement from his piano sonata No.32 Op.111
Chopin Variations on "La ci darem la mano"
Franz Schubert Impromptu in B-flat, Piano quintet 'Trout' and 'Death and the Maiden' quartet

That's all I can recount at the moment, I'll try to add more later. Also, thanks in advance to all who contribute because I need more stuff to listen to.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I initially didn't like the _Theme & Variations _format much, but as I got into classical music more I warmed to it greatly. I like some of the ones you mentioned there, TheProudSquire.

Some others I like that spring to mind are:

*Tchaikovsky *- _Piano Trio _(2nd movt.), _Sym.#5 _(the whole work),_ Rococo Variations for cello & orch_.
*J. Strauss II* - all waltzes of his are cast in theme & variations format, consisting of an intro/theme, then 5 waltz variations, then a coda
*Berg *- First movement of his _Chamber Concerto for violin, piano with 13 winds_
*Dohnanyi *- _Variations on a Nursery Song for piano & orch_.
*Rachmaninov* - _Variations on a theme of Paganini _(warhorse!), but also his _Trio Elegiaque #2_ (2nd movt., just as impressive as Tchaikovksy's trio)
*Lutoslawski *- his own set of variations on Paganini (pno. & orch., or for two pianos)
*Beethoven* - 'Archduke' piano trio (slow movement)
*Schumann* - _Sym. #4_
*Gershwin* - _Variations on 'I got rhythm' for pno. & orch_.
*Ives* - _Variations on 'America' for organ ; Three-page Sonata_ (has the oft-quoted B-A-C-H theme)
*J.S. Bach *- _Goldberg Variations ; The Musical Offering_
*Britten* - _Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge ; Young Person's Guide to the orch_. (theme of Purcell's)
*Hindemith* - _Symphonic Metamorphosis on themes of Weber_
*Godowsky *- 3 _Symphonic Metamorphosis _on themes of J. Strauss II for solo piano
*A. Lloyd-Webber *- _Variations_ for cello with rock band (again, on Paganini)

...there's many more where that came from...


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

?
Beethoven - Op. 120


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Beethoven - 32 variations on an original theme in c-minor, woO80
Eroica variations, op.35
Ten variations for piano on "La stessa, la stessissima" by Antonio Salieri, woO73

Rachmaninov- Variations on a theme of Chopin, op.22


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

i forget the name


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## Lisztian (Oct 10, 2011)

My two favourites are Liszt's variations on Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, and the third movement of Op. 109 - which is my favourite movement in any piano sonata.


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

A trio by Brahms:
*Variations on a theme by Paganini*
*Variations on a theme by Handel* - both for piano, and my favourite of the bunch
*Variations on a theme by Haydn* for full orchestra.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2012)

I like the variations movements in several of Sorabji's big piano pieces, in addition to the already mentioned Beethoven ones, and I too like Liszt's Variations on a theme from 'Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen.'


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## Clementine (Nov 18, 2011)

One of my favorite forms!

I think Beethoven set the bar pretty high with his _Diabelli Variations._ But I also quite like Britten's _Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge,_ and Elgar's _Enigma Variations._ As for as variations within pieces, Bartok makes great use of it in his _Violin Concerto #2,_ as does Tchaikovsky in his _Piano Trio._


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## Romantic Geek (Dec 25, 2009)

How can you forget *Bach - Passicaglia and Fugue in C Minor!!!!!*

Easily my favorite set of variations.

Of course there is the first movement of Mozart K. 331 and the last movement of K. 284, both excellent ones. And there's the Schubert Impromptu in Bb Op. 142/3 (which by the way follows 142/2 which is one of favorite piano works of all-time). And almost everything Purcell wrote (I jest! I jest!...but really Purcell wrote a lot of variations!)


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## Romantic Geek (Dec 25, 2009)

Oh jeez! I forgot my favorite one. The *Variations on Balkan Themes, Op. 60 - Amy Beach*

That's a really lengthy and difficult piece but I believe the whole thing is on Youtube unedited still.


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## Andreas (Apr 27, 2012)

I'm not a big fan of the theme and variations form. I find it a little silly to hear the same theme again and again in slight alterations. A bit like an endless string of movie sequels, shamelessly capitalising on one successful idea.

That's why I like it best when the variations sound so different from one another that one wouldn't even guess that they're all somehow related. Bach's Goldberg Variations come to my mind, or Schoenberg's Variations for Orchestra.

From a structural point of view, I find the sonata allegro form or even the ABA song form more appealing. There is something overly exercisy about the variations form. Each individual variation tends to be overwhelmed out by the sheer mass of companions.


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## Norse (May 10, 2010)

It's a form that has a certain "oh no, this is going to be tedious" ring to it for me, but that I still often end up enjoying. 

My favorites have mostly been mention already, but here's a few additions at least.
*
Grieg's Ballade in g minor*. Probably Grieg's most expansive work for the piano, a set of 14 variations on a folk tune. It's a darkly emotional work he wrote after losing both of his parents, and he never performed the work publicly, as if it was 'too much' for him to go back to.

*Saint-Saëns' Beethoven Variations for two pianos.* I don't really know this one that well, but I remember enjoying it at a concert. One of Saint-Saëns' most popular piano works, I believe.

'Handel-type' variations I usually find too basic in variational technique, but I do like *The Harmonious Blacksmith*.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Most of my favorite jazz pieces could easily be described as "theme and variations". It's the lifeblood of modern jazz.

I like it in classical music, too. Some of my favorite moments in T&V come in Brahms' Haydn Variations and the finale of his 4th Symphony, Dvorak's 8th and Beethoven's "Eroice" (last movement) when the double-time or allegro molto variations kick in. Exciting stuff.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Some with orchestra:

Elgar's Enigma Variations
Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody
Dvorak's Symphonic Variations
Brahms' Haydn Variations

Some for solo piano:

Beethoven's 32 Variations in C minor, woO. 80
Rzewski's The People United Will Never Be Defeated (36 variations on a Chilean song)


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## An Die Freude (Apr 23, 2011)

I quite like *Schoenberg's* duo, his Variations For Orchestra and his Variations On A Recitative In D Minor for Organ


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## Romantic Geek (Dec 25, 2009)

Andreas said:


> I'm not a big fan of the theme and variations form. I find it a little silly to hear the same theme again and again in slight alterations. A bit like an endless string of movie sequels, shamelessly capitalising on one successful idea.
> 
> That's why I like it best when the variations sound so different from one another that one wouldn't even guess that they're all somehow related. Bach's Goldberg Variations come to my mind, or Schoenberg's Variations for Orchestra.
> 
> From a structural point of view, I find the sonata allegro form or even the ABA song form more appealing. There is something overly exercisy about the variations form. Each individual variation tends to be overwhelmed out by the sheer mass of companions.


You'd like the Beach piece then.


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## Petwhac (Jun 9, 2010)

Kodaly- Peacock Variations.
Beethoven- Diabelli


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## sah (Feb 28, 2012)

Going back to the 16th century, variations were called "diferencias" in Spain:

Diferencias on Guárdame las vacas (Narváez).


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2012)

Would Bach's Chaconne from BWV 1002 qualify? Passacaglia in C minor? Technically, they _are_ variations.


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

IMO, best piano variations after Diabelli and Hendel-Brahms are the var.&fugue on a Telemann them, by Reger.


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

I always believed that when it comes to employing variations by using their previous works as model, Schubert can't be beat.

For example:

*String Quartet no. 14 in D minor "Death and the Maiden" *- 2nd movement variations on his somber lied, "Das Tod und Madchen"

*Piano Quintet in A major "Trout*" - variations on the 4th movement of his song, "Die Forelle"

*Fantaise in C major "Wanderer" *- precursor of Liszt' thematic development, 2nd movement variations of his song "Der Wanderer"

*Impromptu in B flat* - variations of the theme of Rosamunde

and many many more..


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Schubert was never one to waste good material.


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

Schumann: Variation auf Beethoven, WoO 31

Schumann: Theme & Variations in E Flat, WoO 24, "Geistervariationen"

Schumann: Andante & Variations for Two Pianos, Two Cellos, and Horn in B Flat, Op. 46

Mendelssohn: Variations Sérieuses, Op. 54

Schubert: Variations On A Theme From Hérold's "Marie", Op. 82/1, D 908

Schubert: Introduction, 4 Variations On An Original Theme & Finale in B Flat, D 603

Schubert: Eight Variations on a French Song in E Minor, D 624

Schubert: Variations on an Original Theme in A Flat Major, D. 813

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #9 in A, Op. 47, "Kreutzer" - 2. Andante con Variazioni

Beethoven: Violin Sonata #6 in A, Op. 30 - 3. Allegretto con Variazioni

All amazing variation sets!


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Writing variations on Mozart tunes seems to have been a major industry in Vienna for some years. Beethoven carried the joke a step further by writing a variation on Mozart's ‘Notte e giorno faticar’ from Don Giovanni as one of his own Diabelli variations.


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## Pantheon (Jun 9, 2013)

I very much enjoy certain Follia variations such as :
Archangelo Corelli's Sonata op.5 n.12 (this was a piece I had to study in France for the Music baccalaureate!)
S. Rachmaninov's Variations on a theme by Corelli
Antonio Salieri's Follies of Spain
Liszt's Rhapsodie Espagnole

I also like Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Greensleeves and Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis.

A Schubert set of Variations for the fans above  :

*Introduction and Variations on the theme "Trockne Blumen" for Flute and Piano* (I recommend especially the version with Emmanuel Pahud as the flotist)
It truly is amazing and colourful!


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Has anyone ever done 'variations on a variation'?


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## GGluek (Dec 11, 2011)

The above, plus Kodaly's "Peacock" Variations, finale of Beethoven's Opus 109 piano sonata, middle movement of Opus 131 string quartet, finale to Vaughan Williams' Fifth Symphony, second movement Brahms' B-flat Sextet, 3rd movement Mahler's Fourth.


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## mtmailey (Oct 21, 2011)

ELGAR has a nice set of them called enigma for full orchestra.


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