Piano Street's Classical Piano Blog » variations

New sheet music: Chopin – Four Concert Pieces

nilsjohan — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:47:15 +0000

Four concert pieces by Chopin in editions by Mikuli (solo piano part with orchestral cues) have been added to our sheet music library.

Opus 2: Variations on Mozart’s ‘La ci darem la mano’

The variations on a theme from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni was the first of Chopin’s works to be published outside his own country. This is the piece Schumann reviewed with the famous words: “Hats off, gentlemen, a genius”
Read Schumann’s review:
An Opus 2 – original article and translation

Opus 13: Fantasy on Polish Airs

Preceeded by an introduction, the Fantasy includes a Polish popular song (Juz miesiac zaszedl), an air by the Polish composer Kurpinski and finally a Kujawiak (Mazurka). The work was published in 1834, dedicated to the pianist J. P. Pixis.

Piano Forum: Chopin’s op 13 – Fantasy on polish airs

Opus 14: Rondo à la Krakowiak

This concert Rondo, published in 1834, is built on a national dance from Cracovia – a simplified polonaise in 2/4 time. The piece begins with a soft, pentatonic melody before rushing into a more lively, syncopated dance which includes a quote of Paganini’s caprice no. 24.

Opus 22: Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brilliante

The Polonaise in E-flat for piano and orchestra was written in 1830-31. A few years later Chopin composed the Andante spianato, a solo piano piece which was added as an introduction to the Polonaise and published as his opus 22 in 1836. Although the combined work was originally published for piano and orchestra it is often played as a solo piano piece.

Here is Kissin’s performance of the Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise Brilliante from the Verbier festival 2007:

Part 2 >>

Beethoven Variations – New Urtext and Recordings

henrik — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:10:52 +0000

Variation form was a central feature of Beethoven’s piano writing in general, from his early years until the end of his life.

The many witty transformations of popular tunes give us an insight in how it might have sounded when the young Beethoven sat down to improvise at the keyboard, while works like the Eroica- and Diabelli Variations belong to the composer’s mature masterworks.

32 Variations in C-minor as well as the Six Variations in G-major, both based on Beethoven’s original themes, are now available in new Urtext sheet music and recordings by David Wärn.

32 Variation in C minor by Beethoven

Six Easy Variations in G major by Beethoven

Variations by Mozart

henrik — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:46:39 +0000

Four of the variation works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are now available in PS Urtext editions.

8 Variations on “Laat ons Juichen” K 24
7 Variations on “Willem van Nassau” K 25
6 Variations on “Mio caro Adone” K 180
10 Variations on “Unser dummer Poebel meint” K 455