Beethoven Variations Op. 34

I promised to write about the music I'm playing in my recital, so here goes! I'm starting with this piece because it's what I've been working on for the last few weeks. And by "working on," I mean, "furiously memorizing because I can't perform anything well unless it's been in my brain for at least four months." I told Dr. Marks last semester that I wanted to play a variation set, and this is one of the few he suggested. It's lovely. I know I use that word too often, but it is truly lovely. I mean it.

I like particularly that the piece is dedicated to Princess Barabara Odescalch, one of Beethoven's pupils. Why do I like that so much? Because I pretend I'm a princess every time I play this piece. (Sometimes it's hard to let go of little-girl dreams)

The theme is beautiful, and almost Mozartian. There are sweet little trills and turns. It's very docile and pretty. It's worth noting that the theme is in F Major, Beethoven's pastoral key. However, the piece doesn't stay in that key, and that's what makes this variation set so interesting.

Each of the variations is in a different key. The variation set rotates through mediant relationships. This means that, if the theme is in F Major, then the first variation is in D Major, the second variation is in B-flat Major, etc. It's essentially a pattern of falling thirds. I should mention that I chose to play this variation set because of mediant relationship bit. I think mediant relationships are God's special gift from heaven. Really. I think God invented mediant relationships to make the world a happier place.

The variations themselves are fairly tame, for the most part. They all sound a bit flowery and sweet. It's the kind of piece fit for a stereotypical princess. It all flows along very prettily until the fifth variation. The fifth variation is like reading Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid. Where she dies at the end instead of marrying the handsome prince like Disney always told you? That's the best comparison I have for how the fifth variation comes across.* The previous variation ends in sunny E-flat Major. Then you hear these murky c minor triads way down in the bass, followed by crescendo-ing, descending arpeggios in octaves (so Beethoven-esque!). The middle section contains broken octaves arpeggios in the bass over a gut-wrenching melody. It's so dramatic, and I feel that it foretells Beethoven's more mature style.

You can hear the piece here. I'm giving you the Gould version, because he makes some entertaining faces.

*Actually, no. The closest comparison I can think of is this: Patrick Rothfuss recently wrote a children's book called The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle. The subversive ending? Where the princess eats everything?! That's the fifth variation.