Description
This work consists of 25 variations on a theme from a Handel suite, followed by an extensive concluding fugue. Composed in 1861 and dedicated to Clara Schumann, it deliberately looks back to Baroque variation and fugue forms while giving each variation its own distinctly Romantic character. It is widely regarded as one of the finest works in the piano variation literature.
Works written in theme-and-variations form, where a single melody is transformed in many different ways.
About the Composer
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Johannes Brahms was a composer born in Hamburg who rose to prominence after being championed by Robert and Clara Schumann, later settling in Vienna. He fused classical formal rigor with Romantic expressiveness across symphonies and chamber music, and in his later years wrote many introspective piano miniatures. This site includes 25 of his works, such as intermezzi, waltzes, and ballades.
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