651.Beethoven Diabelli Variations

Reader86

The 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120, commonly known as the Diabelli Variations, is a set of variations for the piano written between 1819 and 1823 by Ludwig van Beethoven on a waltz composed by Anton Diabelli. It forms the first part of Diabelli's publication Vaterländischer Künstlerverein, the second part consisting of 50 variations by 50 other composers. It is often considered to be the greatest set of variations for keyboard along with Bach's Goldberg Variations.

The music writer Donald Tovey called it "the greatest set of variations ever written"[1] and pianist Alfred Brendel has described it as "the greatest of all piano works".[2] It also comprises, in the words of Hans von Bülow, "a microcosm of Beethoven's art".[3] In Beethoven: The Last Decade 1817–1827, Martin Cooper writes, "The variety of treatment is almost without parallel, so that the work represents a book of advanced studies in Beethoven's manner of expression and his use of the keyboard, as well as a monumental work in its own right".[4] In his Structural Functions of Harmony, Arnold Schoenberg writes that the Diabelli Variations "in respect of its harmony, deserves to be called the most adventurous work by Beethoven".[5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabelli_Variations

Reader86

Beethoven Diabelli Variations Op 120 Alfred Brendel piano

Diabelli-Variationen op. 120 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli
Alfred Brendel piano
***The variations***
00:01 - Theme: Vivace
00:49 - Variation 1: Alla marcia maestoso
02:27 - Variation 2: Poco allegro
03:17 - Variation 3: L’istesso tempo
04:34 - Variation 4: Un poco più vivace
05:34 - Variation 5: Allegro vivace
06:30 - Variation 6: Allegro ma non troppo e serioso
08:04 - Variation 7: Un poco più allegro
09:19 - Variation 8: Poco vivace
10:47 - Variation 9: Allegro pesante e risoluto
12:26 - Variation 10: Presto
13:06 - Variation 11: Allegretto
14:09 - Variation 12: Un poco più moto
14:56 - Variation 13: Vivace
15:52 - Variation 14: Grave e maestoso
19:19 - Variation 15: Presto scherzando
19:56 - Variation 16: Allegro
20:51 - Variation 17: Allegro
21:55 - Variation 18: Poco moderato
23:43 - Variation 19: Presto
24:32 - Variation 20: Andante
26:33 - Variation 21: Allegro con brio – Meno allegro – Tempo primo
27:40 - Variation 22: Allegro molto, alla « Notte e giorno faticar » di Mozart
28:28 - Variation 23: Allegro assai
29:12 - Variation 24: Fughetta (Andante)
32:29 - Variation 25: Allegro
33:10 - Variation 26: (Piacevole)
34:09 - Variation 27: Vivace
35:06 - Variation 28: Allegro
36:01 - Variation 29: Adagio ma non troppo
37:06 - Variation 30: Andante, sempre cantabile
38:54 - Variation 31: Largo, molto espressivo
43:05 - Variation 32: Fuga: Allegro
45:55 - Variation 33: Tempo di Menuetto moderato

Reader86

Gemini said
In the context of the 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120, it is difficult to single out just one as "the most famous" because the work is celebrated as a monumental, cohesive "manifesto" of piano literature. However, a few specific variations are frequently highlighted for their distinct character or historical references:

Variation 22 (Allegro molto): This is perhaps the most instantly recognizable because it explicitly quotes Leporello's aria "Notte e giorno faticar" from Mozart's Don Giovanni. Beethoven uses it to humorously complain about the "toil" of writing so many variations.

Variation 33 (Tempo di Menuetto moderato): As the finale, this variation is famous for its sublime, "transcendental" beauty. It moves away from the humor and complexity of the previous sections into a graceful, Mozart-esque minuet that provides a profound sense of resolution.

Variation 32 (Fuga: Allegro): This massive triple fugue is the intellectual climax of the set, showcasing Beethoven's late-period mastery of counterpoint before transitioning into the final minuet.

Variation 13 (Vivace): This one is often noted for its striking use of silence and rhythmic "shouting," embodying the humor and "madness" that many listeners associate with the Diabelli Variations.

If you are looking for the "hit" that started it all, the Theme (Vivace) by Anton Diabelli is the most famous melody, though Beethoven famously referred to it as a "cobbler's patch" (Schusterfleck) because of its simplicity.