Monday, April 2, 2012

Diabelli’s Waltz Variations – overlooked works


At times composers try to step out of their usual routine practicing and think of some kind of challenge for themselves. On a sunny day of 1819 Anton Diabelli came up with an exciting idea (that would be of promotional character too) – to ask composers he knew to create a variation for a patriotic waltz of his own. Surprisingly, many accepted the invitation – Beethoven, Liszt, Schubert, Mozart – were among the famous ones. All FiftyVariations on a Waltz by Diabelli were published in an anthology Vaterländischer Künstlerverein. Beethoven’s version got probably most remembered and thus performed. However, among other variations there were no less interesting ones, probably slightly overlooked. One of them is Variation under the 5th number – the one composed by Joseph Cherny. Check it out, it’s really wonderful.