Johannes Brahms - Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21 No. 1 (Audio + Score)

This is Brahms' first set of variations originally for the piano with a completely original theme composed for the work. The theme itself is so beautiful that the subsequent variations can be something of an anticlimax. Written at a time when Brahms and the violinist Joseph Joachim were exchanging counterpoint exercises through the mail, this set exhibits an older approach to variation technique than the earlier sets. Rather than using the melody of the theme, or the bass as his departure, Brahms now looks to the nature of the theme itself as inspiration for the variations. As a result, these variations are both more imaginative and further removed from the theme than any of his earlier sets. The first six variations are grouped in sets of two, the seventh is a lyrical interlude, and the eighth, ninth, and tenth form a set in the minor mode. The final variation, No. 11, is an extended and more freely constructed Finale that, with its trills and quickening figuration, recalls the Variation Finale of Beethoven's Sonata, Op. 109. Overall a beautiful and sophisticated work.

(AllMusic)

pf: Julius Katchen