DAILY DOSE of BEETHOVEN (August 26, 2020)

Yesterday we sampled some of the first 10 of Beethoven's variations on Diabelli's theme. Today, we sample the next 10.

As you might expect, the variations (or transformations) begin to break away to an even more nonlinear treatment of Diabelli's Waltz.

Variation 12, for the first time, makes use of Motif "D" from Diabelli's Waltz. (Please consult the Motive chart below):

Variation 13 skips all the intervening notes of "B":

Variation 20 definitely changes the course of the work. It is slow, and draws out the harmonic implications of Motif "E".