Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05

than creates them. and the
visceral hearers, far from be-
ing a relatively unimportant
group Of listeners" as the pro-
fessor claims, are, when they
are also Intellectually discrim-
mating, the true music lover.
the consumer for whom the
artist produces.
= i ~
The Diabelli Variations
Why is 1t surprise to learn
that Wilhelm Backhaus. when
ne appears in Constitution
Hall next month. will play the
Diabelli Variations Of Bee
thoven? He is one of the
outstanding contemporary in
terpreters Of Beethoven. and
the variations are the most
ambitious, the longest and one
of the most sublime keyboard
works of the master. The
piano music Of Beethoven is
heard in recital more than
that of any other composer
it is genuinely popular. Why.
then, should Backhaus not be
playing the Diabelli Varia-
tons?
The surprise comes for the
reason that the Diabelli Va
riations are never played in
public. I have heard uncut
performances by only one
pianist in the last IS years,
and have heard Of not more
than half q dozen other artists
playing them. The only ten
able reason for this neglect Is
the length Of the piece, Q few
minutes less than an hour.
which makes it anathema to
the arrangers Of that common
but horrible musical phenom-
enon. the mixed program"
A mixed program can be o
skillfully prepared and very
tasty menu; often. however, 1t
is q fancy term for trash.
80 Variations Written
The story of the Diabelli
Variations is well known. The
publisher Diabelli enlisted fifty
musicians to write single varia-
tons on a simple but attractive
little waltz Of his own. Beetho-
ven was unwilling to join the
group, and the collection was
published without his being
represented. Some incentive,
possibly only the good fee Of
fered by Diabelli. prompted
Beethoven to write an entire
set Of variations-33 in num-
Der - on the same tune. It
turned out to be. in one gigan-
tic piece. a complete synopsis
of the entire range Of Beetho-
ven'S musical creation. and q
detailed study Of all his styles
of writing for pianoforte.
A recital so remarkable and
so transitory may incite some
to look over the music In adj
vance. Few pieces are more
interesting to study. The Dia-
belli Variations are similar to
the Goldberg Variations Of
Bach in that each Is the crown.
ing achievement Of its cons
poser in the variation form.
and in that each is q much
longer and more complex work
than the average creation Of
its maker.
In the Goldberg Variations.
the harmony is the constant
factor. It never changes
throughout the hour and q
half it takes the thirty varia-
tions to show the listener every
possible ! aspect Of Bach's
theme.
All Features at Variance
In the Diabelli Variations
Beethoven remains in touch
with his original material no
less inexorably, but the change,
the variation. affects all fea-
lures Of the music. The har-
nony may remind US Of Dia-
BELLS waltz. or 1t may be
distorted beyond recognition; q
scrap Of tune. or even an orna-
ment. may be the only link
with the original. The rhythm
may be all that remains Of the
waltz. but, on the other hand.
the waltz Is turned into q
march in the first variation
and into q minuet in the last.
Sometimes 1t is almost i'm
possible to know what there Is
about q particular variation
that reminds you Of the origi-
nal. yet you are always GER
tain that Beethoven has not
really forgotten his theme or
disregarded the limitations Of
the variation form.
One Of the most witty vari-
atoms must have come to Bee
thoven in q spontaneous fash.
with a shock Of recognition. He
could in no way have con-
trived that the bass Of his
waltz be identical to Leporel-
los complaint that opens Don
Giovanni" All he then had to
do. when he noticed the iden-
tity. was to play the tune in
octayes at a frenzied clip. and
to progress through q series Of
outrageous modulations. Then,
according to the old and prob
ably apochryphal story, he
sent this single variation with
out comment to Diabelli. who
had been Fostering him to
complete the commissioned
piece. The text Of LeporeIlo's
tune is Might and day I work
without rest or sleep"