The Hardest Set of Varations ever

[presto agitato]

Oh my godˇˇ What a poll did i create 

The choices are:

1-  Bach -  Goldberg Varations

2-  Beethoven - Varations and Fugue in Eb Op 35

3-  Mendelssohn - Varations Serieuses in D minor Op 54

4-  Alkan -  Varations in E minor Op 39-12  AKA "Le Festin D'Esope"

5-  Thalberg -  Variations on Rossini's "Semiramide,"  Op 51 (Naxos - Francesco Nicolosi)

6-  Liszt, Thalberg, Pixis, Herz, Czerny, Chopin. -  Hexameron Variations.

7-  Reger - Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Telemann Op 134 (Hyperion - Hamelin)

8- Brahms - Varations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Op 24

9- Brahms - Paganini Varations Op 35

10 Rachmaninov - Varations on theme of Corelli Op 42.

I´ll give my vote later...I need to breathe.

[iumonito]

The people united will never be defeated.

From your list, Paganini-Brahms.

You're missing the Diabelli, which would be my second choice.

[apion]

In terms of difficulty and greatness:

1. Brahms - Paganini Vars
2. Bach - Goldberg Vars
3. Brahms - Handel Vars
4. Beethoven - Diabelli
5. Mendelssohn - Variations Serieuse

[presto agitato]

The people united will never be defeated.

Yeah. I own that Recording with Hamelin, i forgot to mention them

[steinwayguy]

I'm not going to say which is the "most difficult", but I think the Handel Variations are equal or greater in difficulty to the Paganini. The Diabellis definitely need to be on the list, because those are just ridiculous. The Goldbergs are also among the top four.

[musicsdarkangel]

Oh my godˇˇ What a poll did i create 

The choices are:

1-  Bach -  Goldberg Varations

2-  Beethoven - Varations and Fugue in Eb Op 35

3-  Mendelssohn - Varations Serieuses in D minor Op 54

4-  Alkan -  Varations in E minor Op 39-12  AKA "Le Festin D'Esope"

5-  Thalberg -  Variations on Rossini's "Semiramide,"  Op 51 (Naxos - Francesco Nicolosi)

6-  Liszt, Thalberg, Pixis, Herz, Czerny, Chopin. -  Hexameron Variations.

7-  Reger - Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Telemann Op 134 (Hyperion - Hamelin)

8- Brahms - Varations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Op 24

9- Brahms - Paganini Varations Op 35

10 Rachmaninov - Varations on theme of Corelli Op 42.

I´ll give my vote later...I need to breathe.

How about the Mozart k 284?

[shasta]

Brahms - Paganini Varations

*You left out Rach's Chopin Variations, which I feel are slightly harder than his Corelli.

[BoliverAllmon]

what about rach's paganinni variations?

boliver

[pianowelsh]

Diabelli are tough in every respect. I have heard many good performances of all the others on your list - few people Really suceed in the Diabelli though.

[mikeyg]

Where would Beethoven op. 111 rate?

[pianonut]

how about faure's theme and variations? each variation gets more and more difficult.

[Alfonso Van Worden]

PAGENINI/BRAHMS OF COURSE IS NUMBER ONE

[pianonut]

or beethoven's diabelli variations?

[pianonut]

sorry to repeat.  will look for more.

[pianonut]

how about lucas foss 'baroque variations' (1967) 

[pianonut]

ps  you'd have to transcribe them, i guess.  they do sound hard.  you can listen:
www.nycballet.com/about/rep_baroquevar.html

[pianonut]

pss i think there are 79 variations!

[apion]

Also, these concertos are treacherously difficult sets of variations:

Liszt, Totentanz
Rach, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Franck, Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra
Prokofiev, Piano Concerto no. 2 (2nd Movement)

[DarkWind]

Sorabji's Symphonic Variations. These are longer than the Opus Clavicembalisticum. I'm pretty sure no one can name something more difficult. As for pieces that have been recorded, maybe the Godowsky Passacaglia?

[apion]

As for pieces that have been recorded, maybe the Godowsky Passacaglia?

This is really, really splitting hairs here, but is a passacaglia really a set of variations?  Yeah, it's darn close ....... but I think, by definition, it may not be

[DarkWind]

Actually, Godowsky's Passacaglia takes the opening theme of Schubert's 8th Symphony, and then he writes 44 Variations on it. So it is officially a Theme and Variations.

[Regulus Medtner]

Godowsky's Passacaglia IS a set of variations and a very difficult one.

Medtner's Improvisation no.1 (op. 31 no.1) and Improvisation no.2 (op.47) are also exceptional variation sets, very difficult technically  and musically thrilling.

[fergal]

Rach Chopin variations op.22 should be there somewhere for difficulty if not so much for quality

[pianoboi666]

hardest- definately the brahms/pagannini var.
then i'd have to go with the bach goldberg var


what about the Abegg variations?

[steinwaymodeld]

Kapustin's Jazz Variation is great too
and talk about jazz, Fazil Say's Paganini Variation sure is an awesome encore piece.

of course, Brahms Paganini is very catchy and difficult, but I think it's necessary to be that difficult for the sake of the music.

[thracozaag]

 Reger-Bach (op. 81) is more difficult than the Teleman imo. 

koji (STSD)

[Sergey R]

How about Rachmaninov's Variations On A Theme By Paganini? Maybe it isn't THE hardest, but it does sound very interesting.

[Waldszenen]

It's definitely one of the most well-known.

[apion]

It's definitely one of the most well-known.

Unfortunately, it's great popularity is due to one variation that contains Rach's most gorgeous melody (or "one of his most gorgeous melodies").  But the entire work is perhaps Rachmaninoff's greatest composition (yeah, really). 

[etudes]

Reger-Bach (op. 81) is more difficult than the Teleman imo. 

koji (STSD)

yeah
at least someone mentioned it

Godowsky's Passacaglia
Brahms - Paganini

[g_s_223]

Reger-Bach (op. 81) is more difficult than the Teleman imo. 

koji (STSD)

Yes, absolutely right. And musically superior too, I feel.

[presto agitato]

You can vote know

[stevie]

not sure about the hardest, but my favourite is surely the alkan festin.

its interesting that this is about variations, because in many works, each variation is like a mini-etude, that uses a different pianistic figuration, the most obvious example is the brahms-paganini.

so that means you have to be equally adept at just about every pianistic technique, and this is among the great technical challenges of the variation form.

[arensky]

To play well and do justice to, the Goldbergs. BTW Schumann's Symphonic Etudes were left off the list, they are very difficult and a variations piece. But not harder than the Goldberg Variations.

[pianistimo]

faure wrote a 'theme and variations' too.  it's kind of difficult.

[jalgor]

Hmm.

What about Chopin's variations on Mozart's La Ci Darem La Mano, from opera Don Giovanni?