32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor, WoO

WoO

WoO is an acronym/abbreviation, derived from the German musical catalog phrase . WoO is a catalogue prepared in 1955 by Hans Halm and Georg Kinsky, listing all of the compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven that were not originally published with an opus number, or survived only as fragments.The...

. 80, is one of the solo piano works of Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...

. It was composed in 1806.

Analysis

The work consists of an eight-bar main theme and 32 variations. A chord progression

Chord progression

A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...

 in the left hand, based upon a descending chromatic bass, serves as an important structural device. The short and sparsely melodic theme, as well as the emphasis on the bass line, reflect a possible influence of the chaconne

Chaconne

A chaconne ; is a type of musical composition popular in the baroque era when it was much used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short repetitive bass-line which offered a compositional outline for variation, decoration, figuration and...

. The variations differ in character, technical difficulty and dynamics.

Variation

Var. I, II, III consist of arpeggios and repeating notes. The only difference among these three variations is which hands play the arpeggios; in Var. I, the right hand does so, Var. II, the left hand, and Var. III, both hands.

Var. IV is a variation looking into precision of staccato

Staccato

Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...

, and the descending base line is quite prominent.

Var. V is a quiet variation looking at the contrast between staccato and legato.

Var. VI is a turbulent variation marked fortissimo as well as "sempre staccato e sforzato." The sforzato's are indicated in the music.

Var. VII and VIII are markedly quieter variations than Var. VI but are more musically more difficult.

Var. IX is a variation with many slurs.

Var. X and XI are marked sempre forte with an inversion of the main theme, with the only difference between them being that Var. X's thirty-second notes are played with the left hand, and Var. XI with the right.

Var. XII-XVI mark the Maggiore (Italian

Italian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

 for "major") and are thus emotionally different from the other variations. Var. XII is marked semplice, so it should not be overplayed, while XIII is even quieter. Var. XIV has staccato thirds, and XV and XVI contain numerous, albeit slow, octaves.

Var. XVII marks the return of Minore and is marked dolce, implying that it should be played more quietly.

Var. XVIII offers a stark contrast to Var. XVII, with very rapid right hand scales.

Var. XIX is a variation with arpeggios in the form of sixteenth triplets like the Waldstein Sonata

Piano Sonata No. 21 (Beethoven)

The Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53, also known as the Waldstein, is considered to be one of Beethoven's greatest piano sonatas, as well as one of the three particularly notable sonatas of his middle period . The sonata was completed in the summer of 1804...

.

Var. XX and XXI are technically difficult variations with scales.

Var. XXII is noted for its tenutos and sforzatos.

Var. XXIII offers a contrast to Var. XXII and thus is marked pianissimo

Pianissimo

Pianissimo is an Italian word, meaning "very soft". It can mean:*Pianissimo, refers to the volume of a soft sound or soft note.*Pianissimo Peche, a brand of Japanese cigarettes made by Japan Tobacco....

. It consists of detached chords.

Var. XXIV and XXV are light (thus quiet) variations emphasizing staccato and leggiermente, respectively.

Var. XXVI and XXVII are technically difficult and consist of thirds.

Var. XXVIII is a stark contrast to XXVII, as it is marked semplice.

Var. XXIX consists of difficult arpeggios in the form of sixteenth triplets.

Var. XXX is a contrast to XXIX and is quite slow.

Var. XXXI is even quieter than XXX and technically simple, consisting of left hand arpeggios, and the theme is repeated in the right hand in its original form.

Var. XXXII is the last variation, a technically difficult and fast passage. Its main theme consists of left hand 32nd notes and a right hand playing two sevenths, and a group of eight 32nd notes.

Typically, performances of this piece last from 10 to 12 minutes.