Something I was never quite sure on...
In the Diabelli Variations, when the theme is presented at the very beginning, is that exactly the way Diabelli wrote it, or did Beethoven arrange it a little differently? I never heard one way or the other. I would assume it is the way Diabelli wrote it, but I'm not sure. Anyone know?
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Hey Chris,Originally posted by Chris:
In the Diabelli Variations, when the theme is presented at the very beginning, is that exactly the way Diabelli wrote it, or did Beethoven arrange it a little differently? I never heard one way or the other. I would assume it is the way Diabelli wrote it, but I'm not sure. Anyone know?
You said you`d listen to some Beethoven, & so you did! I do not profess to know the answer; only that the theme is so mind-numbingly mundane that why should Beethoven have bothered to embellish it when he could have saved such mental exertion for one of the variations. Originally, Beethoven was so unenamoured with Diabelli`s theme that he referred to it as a "cobbler`s patch".
Hope you`re OK, Chris.
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The great Beethoven was in no position to look down his nose at Diabelli's theme as he had written a remarkably similar tune himself, with literal sequential phrases involving modulation. It's in the second movement of his very early Piano Trio in E flat, WoO 38. I remember reading somewhere that Diabelli may have subconciously remembered it when he wrote his "cobbler's patch".
MichaelComment
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So far as I remember, the theme was not anything but what Diabelli wrote. One good ting about the theme is that since it IS so simple and sturdy, it provides the perfect base from which to create 33 distinct and utterly original variations. Diabelli's theme was like basic Lego.Comment
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Don't forget also, that originally Diabelli had written to many prominent composers and musicians(including Schubert and the 12 year old Liszt) asking for them to provide just one variation - Beethoven of course got carried away!
Does anyone know if Diabelli ever published his variations by other composers and if so did he include one by Beethoven?
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'Man know thyself''Man know thyself'Comment
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The Diabelli variations by other composers have certainly been recorded but I have no details. They do not include any of B's.Originally posted by Peter:
Does anyone know if Diabelli ever published his variations by other composers and if so did he include one by Beethoven?
Michael
[This message has been edited by Michael (edited 01-27-2001).]Comment
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I`d love to hear these `alternative` variations - surely this is a unique occurrence in musical history (?) where so many composers (50) have been requested to work simultaneously blind of one another in supplying such a variation. Does anyone know of any recordings of these efforts?Originally posted by Michael:
The Diabelli variations by other composers have certainly been recorded but I have no details. They do not include any of B's.
Michael
[This message has been edited by Michael (edited 01-27-2001).]Comment
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There is a recording with all of the other composers efforts, I've seen it somewhere, but that's all I can say.Originally posted by PDG:
I`d love to hear these `alternative` variations - surely this is a unique occurrence in musical history (?) where so many composers (50) have been requested to work simultaneously blind of one another in supplying such a variation. Does anyone know of any recordings of these efforts?
Rod
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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod CorkinComment
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