Title & composer

Variazioni

Composition year: 1984

Duration: 6 min

Commissioned by: Rikskonserter
Comments about the work: Variazioni per pianoforte consists of eighteen variations on the most important building-blocks of the piece, viz. two chords: the one is built up of a pentatonic scale, the other of a lydian pentachord – they have one tone in common. Despite its form (and title) the work has only one movement, and it is hard to follow where the different variations begin and end, but this is also intentional. By means of different treatment of the original material, this is developed from simple lyrical melodies to dramatic chords, from stationary, static blocks to rhythmical, quick sections with clear profiles. Nor is the “theme“ presented in the beginning of the piece, but does not come until Variation No 8, as a consequence of a reduction after a more mobile section. The advantage of the pentatonic scale is that all its tones can be used as fundamentals. A simple inversion of the chord is therefore experienced as a new chord. This makes different harmonic functions possible without changing the scale. One example of this is the last reprise in the piece, which is in the subdominant. In other words, the basic material of the piece is very concentrated, but has a quite varied character in the different sections. These transformations from one character to the other make up the overall form of the piece.Miklós Maros

Identification number: 122132
Publication year: 1985
Work administrator: SUE (Edition Suecia)
Box 17092
Stockholm
Phone: 08-783 88 00
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.svenskmusik.org
Edition number: 349
Format: SCORE
Reference to physical copy: SUE