A Look at Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C Minor (Part I)
Beth Levin
[July 2002.]
Thema / Allegretto
The eight-measure theme is in 3/4 time, strong in meter, in spine, in sound — chords and melody walk chromatically away from C minor, reach a climactic sforzando on IV (F minor), then quickly run home again.
This is our basis from which everything will evolve. Let’s move on…
Variation I
Scale notes of the statement transform to arpeggios and repeated notes in 16ths — "lightly, lightly," Beethoven tells us — who are we to question? Harmonic form identical, sf on F intact, but resolve has given way to raindrops, sweetness prevails.
Variation II
Still leggiermente, the bass steals the treble’s pattern verbatim. It is Variation I turned exactly on its head.
Variation III
Beethoven, not ready to relinquish a good idea, combines I with II — arpeggios abound in both hands at once! The strength of it is its beauty — form intact, meter intact, C minor reigning.
[cont]