Beethoven monument bonn muensterplatz 2008

''Variations sérieuses'', Op. 54, MWV U 156, is a composition for solo piano by

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...

consisting of a theme in

D minor D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major. The D natural minor scale is: Changes needed ...

and 17

variations Variation or Variations may refer to: Science and mathematics * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon * Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individual ...

. It was completed on 4 June 1841. A typical performance lasts about eleven minutes. The work was written as part of a campaign to raise funds for the erection of a large bronze statue of

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

in his home town of

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

. The publisher Pietro Mechetti asked Mendelssohn to contribute to a 'Beethoven Album', published in January 1842, which also included pieces by

Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most pro ...

, Chopin, Moscheles and others, of which the proceeds would go to the Monument.Todd, R. Larry (2003). ''Mendelssohn, A Life in Music'', p.414. Oxford. (

Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

's Fantasie in C was the final result of a work originally intended for the same purpose). Mendelssohn is known to have written three sets of piano variations, but only this one was published during his lifetime. Variations sérieuses, for piano in D minor, Op. 54; Composition Description/ref> The autograph manuscript of the set is preserved in the

Jagiellonian Library The Jagiellonian Library (, popular nickname ''Jagiellonka'') is the library of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and with almost 6.7 million volumes, one of the largest libraries in Poland, serving as a public library, university library an ...

. Many of the variations require a

virtuoso A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'', or ; Late Latin ''virtuosus''; Latin ''virtus''; 'virtue', 'excellence' or 'skill') is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as fine arts, ...

technique. Mendelssohn's good friend

Ignaz Moscheles Isaac Ignaz Moscheles (; 23 May 179410 March 1870) was a Bohemian piano virtuoso and composer. He was based initially in London and later at Leipzig, where he joined his friend and sometime pupil Felix Mendelssohn as professor of piano in the Co ...

stated "I play the ''Variations sérieuses'' again and again, each time I enjoy the beauty again."

Ferruccio Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary ...

also liked the work very much. Many pianists have recorded it, including

Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (November 5, 1989) was a Russian and American pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of all time, he was known for his virtuoso technique, timbre, and the public excitement engendered by his playing. Life ...

Sviatoslav Richter Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter ( – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet and Russian classical pianist. He is regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time,Great Pianists of the 20th Century and has been praised for the "depth of his interpreta ...

Alicia de Larrocha Alicia de Larrocha y de la Calle (23 May 192325 September 2009) was a Spanish pianist and composer. She was considered one of the great piano legends of the 20th century. Reuters called her "the greatest Spanish pianist in history", ''Time'' " ...

Rena Kyriakou Rena Kyriakou (25 February 1917August 1994) was a pianist and composer born in Herakleion, Crete, Greece.Dubal, David (2004)''The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings'' p. 208. Amadeus Press. Education Rena Kyriakou reve ...

Vladimir Sofronitsky Vladimir Vladimirovich Sofronitsky (or Sofronitzky; , ''Vladimir Sofronitskij''; – August 29, 1961) was a Soviet-Russian classical pianist, best known as an interpreter of Alexander Scriabin and Frédéric Chopin. His daughter is the Canadian ...

and

Murray Perahia Murray David Perahia ( ; born April 19, 1947) is an American pianist and conductor. He has been considered one of the greatest living pianists. He was the first North American pianist to win the Leeds International Piano Competition, in 1972. ...

Structure

# Theme: Andante sostenuto # Variation 1 # Variation 2: Un poco più animato # Variation 3: Più animato # Variation 4 # Variation 5: Agitato # Variation 6: A tempo # Variation 7: Con fuoco # Variation 8: Allegro vivace # Variation 9 # Variation 10: Moderato # Variation 11: Cantabile # Variation 12: Tempo del Tema # Variation 13: Sempre assai leggiero # Variation 14: Adagio # Variation 15: Poco a poco più agitato # Variation 16: Allegro vivace # Variation 17 # Coda: Presto

References

External links

„Andante sostenuto” op 54
Mendelssohn's autograph manuscript in the Jagiellonian Library * Solo piano compositions by Felix Mendelssohn Serieuses 1841 compositions Compositions in D minor {{composition-stub