Variations

One of the most interesting musical forms is the theme and variations. When I was a concert guitarist I only played two examples of the form, one the Introduction and Variations on a Theme by Mozart, op. 9 by Fernando Sor. The theme is from “Das klinget so herrlich” towards the end of Act I of The Magic Flute. The other was the 20 Variations and Fugue on "Folio de España" by Manuel Ponce. In both cases, I think I only played them in concert once! While I loved the Ponce, at nearly thirty minutes long, it was just too big for most recital programs. The Sor, while charming, did not quite seem worth the effort of mastering all the intricate figurations. Mauro Giuliani wrote several sets of theme and variations, but I found them rather formulaic and again, not really worth the effort. So, I guess I wasn't a big fan of the form!

There are innumerable sets of rather uninspired variations for all instruments, but there are a few brilliant examples that stand out: the Goldberg Variations by J. S. Bach, of course, and the Diabelli Variations by Beethoven to which we could add the Haydn Variations by Brahms and perhaps the variations on "The People United Will Never Be Defeated" by Frederic Rzewski (pronounced "ZHEF-skee"). The Bach is for harpsichord and the others for piano except the Brahms which was written for two pianos, but is more often heard in the orchestral version.

Variation form is, for composers, a technical challenge and an exercise in creativity. What makes it interesting to the listener is the brilliant figuration and the continuity of structure across the variations. Possibly the greatest master of the variation form was Beethoven who left us many, many examples, all of them well executed.

I mentioned "continuity of structure" above and if you were wondering what I meant, this is what unifies the variations. A very bad set of variations would be one in which each variation was simply different from the others. There would be no unity, just a random collection of ideas. Theme and variation form involves a dynamic tension between what is retained across the variations and what is varied. Each variation, therefore, needs to retain the basic structure of the theme while presenting an interesting variation on that structure. This is often done using what Schoenberg calls a motive of variation, a figure or embellishment that is perhaps derived from the original theme and is used in a predetermined form throughout a variation thereby unifying that variation. If this is unclear, it is very clear to the ear! One single figuration is often used for a whole variation and then a different one is used for the next variation.

The theme needs to have clear and distinct qualities that the listener will be able to easily identify across the variations and for this reason composers have often used folk tunes with simple harmonies or simple melodies from operas. Beethoven set a melody from an opera by Ditters von Dittersdorf that will illustrate some of these features. Here is the piece, 13 Variations on an Arietta by Dittersdorf, WoO 66 (the "WoO" refers to a "work without opus number") and the arietta is "Es war einmal ein alter mann." The pianist is Alfred Brendel:

One unique element of the theme is that in measure 21 the theme stops on the dominant of the dominant ( V of V or B major) and there is a measure rest with a fermata. After, there is a short coda with a return to the original tune followed by a cadential formula. Beethoven retains this pause in every single variation and often uses it to set up a short section in a contrasting mood using a different tempo, meter or harmony before returning to the original tune. Here is the theme and I have circled the measure pause:

UPDATE: I forgot, I I also played the Theme and Variations by Lennox Berkeley.