Theme and Variations
Good Sunday to you, intrepid music lovers. Can anyone guess which flowers from my garden I picked this week? Most do not look familiar except to the trained eye. The hint is the small yellow/orange and white/orange clusters in the foreground. Those are baby daffodils and the others may not look it but they too are all daffodils, hence our theme for the week: Theme and Variations.
I just finished the Arts and Leisure section of The New York Times and I thought it would be fun to talk about a specific structure, or form of music today rather than any one composer or era. I am referring to music known as “theme and variations”. That is, each of today’s pieces starts with a basic melody which is then changed in myriad ways: the tempo, key, style, harmony and instrumentation are all fair game to dazzle and amaze the listener, yet the same ingredients used to make that cake can still be recognized if you listen closely. You will not believe your ears when you hear the incredible ways in which these composers deconstruct the themes. And of course, there are all the jazz greats who improvised melodies on the spot, creating their own themes and variations as deftly as their classical predecessors.
Here’s a list (in no particular order) of my favorite themes and variations:
1) BACH-GOLDBERG VARIATIONS, Glenn Gould, 1955 version: A WQXR poll some years ago indicated that if an individual were stranded on a desert island and could bring only one CD to listen to, this would be the one. I think even Bach could not have imagined his masterpiece could be played with such feeling.
2) BEETHOVEN - Variations on an original theme, Op, 76 (Richter): Probably one of the few times Beethoven had fun composing. One can only listen, shake your head and say, “how does he do that?”
3) HAYDN - String Quartet No. 62, Op. 76, 2nd Movement (Emperor): Subliminally beautiful.
4) BRAHMS - Variations on a Theme By Haydn (1873): It was written by the composer both for two pianos and for orchestra. Brahms himself conducted the orchestral debut with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. This piece epitomizes both the majestic and the brilliant.
5) MOZART - Variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: We probably all know this one. While Wolfgang did not write this melody, I have a feeling he could have done the entire theme and variations while being held upside down with his hands crossed as in the movie Amadeus.
6) RACHMANINOFF - Variations on a theme by Chopin Op. 22: Why ANYONE on the planet would think this most famous of preludes would need variations, I do not know, but it makes for interesting listening.
7) RACHMANINOFF - Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini: Wonderful!
8) HOROWITZ - he composed and played Variations on a Theme by Bizet’s Carmen. I don’t believe there will ever be a romantic era pianist who will be Vladimir Horowitz’s equal.
9) SCHUBERT - the ‘Trout Quartet’: Please don’t miss this one. You can see the trout darting through the sun dappled stream as the music plays.
10) IVES - An American original, Ives gives us a jolly good time with his theme and variations on America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)
Finally, the jazz greats of the 20th century were the ultimate theme and variations masters. Armstrong, Parker, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Ornette Coleman, Lady Ella and many more stood not just on the shoulders of the classicists but in many ways surpassed them because their variations (their improvisations) were all live and spontaneous.
Have a blessed week.
