Variation[s], Vol. 1: Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Webern

by Cedric Tiberghien

Overview

One may be puzzled initially to see Mozart, Schumann (twice), and Webern on a program in a cycle devoted to the complete variation sets of Beethoven, but this is a typically ambitious idea from pianist Cedric Tiberghien and the music of the other composers mostly has connections to Beethoven. Schumann's Etudes in Variation form on a Theme by Beethoven, WoO 31, are underrated indeed, weaving quotations from several other Beethoven symphonies into its basic material from the slow movement of the Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92. Perhaps the Webern Variations, Op. 27, are the odd piece out here; it is debatable whether they are variations at all, but in a way, the pieces by the other composers strengthen Tiberghien's main thesis, which is that Beethoven's variations are fully serious works that shouldn't be underestimated. His cycle opens with the Variations and Fugue in E flat major, Op. 35, called the "Eroica Variations" because they use a theme that recurred in the finale of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55. Tiberghien gives these a big, sweeping performance that suggests the work's prominence in Beethoven's output. Yet even the smaller sets, based on simple operatic arias of the day, have some weight in Tiberghien's performances, which indicate ways in which Beethoven worked out problems of register and harmony in these works. By the end, when Tiberghien offers a transcendent performance of Schumann's Geistervariationen (the last work Schumann wrote, already in the grip of madness), the listener has the feeling of having been on quite a ride. One is excited to discover the content and structure of Tiberghien's next volume, which presumably will include the Diabelli Variations, Op. 120. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	03/24/2023
Label:	Harmonia Mundi
UPC:	3149020944936
Rank:	58745

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Introduction. Allegretto vivace
2. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Theme
3. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton I
4. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton II
5. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton III
6. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton IV
7. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton V
8. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton VI
9. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton VII. Canone all'ottava
10. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton VIII
11. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton IX
12. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton X
13. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton XI
14. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton XII
15. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton XIII
16. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton XIV (minore)
17. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Variaton XV (maggiore). Largo
18. Variations & Fugue 'Eroica Variations' Op. 35 E-flat major~Finale (alla fuga). Allegro con brio
19. 6 Variations Op. 34 F major~Theme. Adagio cantabile
20. 6 Variations Op. 34 F major~Variation I
21. 6 Variations Op. 34 F major~Variation II. Allegro, ma non troppo
22. 6 Variations Op. 34 F major~Variation III. Allegretto
23. 6 Variations Op. 34 F major~Variation IV. Tempo di Minuetto
24. 6 Variations Op. 34 F major~Variation . Marcia. Allegretto
25. 6 Variations Op. 34 F major~Variation VI. Allegretto
26. 6 Variations Op. 34 F major~Coda. Allegretto - Adagio molto
27. Piano Sonata No. 11 K. 331 A major~I. Tema con variazione
28. Piano Sonata No. 11 K. 331 A major~II. Menuetto - Trio
29. Piano Sonata No. 11 K. 331 A major~III. Alla turca
30. 6 Variations Op. 76 D major~Theme. Allegro risoluto
31. 6 Variations Op. 76 D major~Variation I
32. 6 Variations Op. 76 D major~Variation II
33. 6 Variations Op. 76 D major~Variation III
34. 6 Variations Op. 76 D major~Variation IV
35. 6 Variations Op. 76 D major~Variation V
36. 6 Variations Op. 76 D major~Variation VI. Presto

Disc 2

37. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~1. Un poco maestoso
38. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~2.
39. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~3.
40. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~A6. Passionato
41. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~4. Molto moderato
42. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~A10. Prestissimo
43. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~B7.
44. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~5.
45. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~B5. Cantando
46. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~6. Presto
47. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~A7. Idee aus Beethoven
48. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~7.
49. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~B4.
50. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~A11. Legato teneramente
51. Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven WoO 31 A minor~B3.
52. 7 Variations on 'Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen' WoO 75 F major~Theme. Allegretto
53. 7 Variations on 'Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen' WoO 75 F major~Variation I
54. 7 Variations on 'Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen' WoO 75 F major~Variation II
55. 7 Variations on 'Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen' WoO 75 F major~Variation III
56. 7 Variations on 'Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen' WoO 75 F major~Variation IV
57. 7 Variations on 'Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen' WoO 75 F major~Variation V
58. 7 Variations on 'Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen' WoO 75 F major~Variation VI
59. 7 Variations on 'Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen' WoO 75 F major~Variation VII. Allegro
60. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Theme. Allegretto
61. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Variation I
62. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Variation II
63. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Variation III
64. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Variation IV
65. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Variation V
66. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Variation VI
67. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Variation VII
68. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Variation VIII
69. 9 Variations on 'Quant'¿¿ pi¿¿ bello' WoO 69 A major~Variation IX
70. Variations Op. 27~I. Sehr mäßig
71. Variations Op. 27~II. Sehr schnell
72. Variations Op. 27~III. Ruhig flie¿¿end
73. 6 Variations on 'Nel cor pi¿¿ non mi sento' WoO 70 G major~Theme
74. 6 Variations on 'Nel cor pi¿¿ non mi sento' WoO 70 G major~Variation I
75. 6 Variations on 'Nel cor pi¿¿ non mi sento' WoO 70 G major~Variation II
76. 6 Variations on 'Nel cor pi¿¿ non mi sento' WoO 70 G major~Variation III
77. 6 Variations on 'Nel cor pi¿¿ non mi sento' WoO 70 G major~Variation IV
78. 6 Variations on 'Nel cor pi¿¿ non mi sento' WoO 70 G major~Variation V
79. 6 Variations on 'Nel cor pi¿¿ non mi sento' WoO 70 G major~Variation VI
80. 8 Variations on 'T¿¿ndeln und Scherzen' WoO 76 F major~Theme. Andante quasi allegretto
81. 8 Variations on 'T¿¿ndeln und Scherzen' WoO 76 F major~Variation I
82. 8 Variations on 'T¿¿ndeln und Scherzen' WoO 76 F major~Variation II
83. 8 Variations on 'T¿¿ndeln und Scherzen' WoO 76 F major~Variation III
84. 8 Variations on 'T¿¿ndeln und Scherzen' WoO 76 F major~Variation IV
85. 8 Variations on 'T¿¿ndeln und Scherzen' WoO 76 F major~Variation V
86. 8 Variations on 'T¿¿ndeln und Scherzen' WoO 76 F major~Variation VI
87. 8 Variations on 'T¿¿ndeln und Scherzen' WoO 76 F major~Variation VII. Adagio molto ed espressivo
88. 8 Variations on 'T¿¿ndeln und Scherzen' WoO 76 F major~Variation VIII. Allegro vivace - Adagio
89. Geistervariationen WoO 24 E-flat major~Theme. Leise, innig
90. Geistervariationen WoO 24 E-flat major~Variation I
91. Geistervariationen WoO 24 E-flat major~Variation II. Canonisch
92. Geistervariationen WoO 24 E-flat major~Variation III. Etwas belebter
93. Geistervariationen WoO 24 E-flat major~Variation IV
94. Geistervariationen WoO 24 E-flat major~Variation V

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cedric Tiberghien   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Amandine Lauriol   Photography
Robert Schumann   Composer
Anton Webern   Composer
Charles Johnston   Liner Note Translation
Cedric Tiberghien   Liner Notes
Cyril Mordant   Piano Tuner
Aline Blondiau   Editing,Engineer,Mastering,Artistic Director
Irene Weber-Froboese   Liner Note Translation
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart   Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven   Composer