Ludwig van Beethoven: Diabelli-Variationen András Schiff

• 1 I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato 08:55
• 2 II. Arietta. Adagio molto et cantabile 17:30
• 3 Thema. Vivace 00:45
• 4 Var. I. Alla marcia maestoso 01:39
• 5 Var. II. Poco allegro 00:49
• 6 Var. III. L'Istesso tempo 01:20
• 7 Var. IV. Un poco più vivace 01:00
• 8 Var. V. Allegro vivace 00:59
• 9 Var. VI. Allegro ma non troppo e serioso 01:35
• 10 Var.VII. Un poco più allegro 01:09
• 11 Var. VIII. Poco vivace 01:29
• 12 Var. IX. Allegro pesante e risoluto 01:53
• 13 Var. X. Presto 00:42
• 14 Var. XI. Allegretto 01:09
• 15 Var. XII. Un poco più moto 01:00
• 16 Var. XIII. Vivace 01:11
• 17 Var. XIV. Grave e maestoso 03:35
• 18 Var. XV. Presto scherzando 00:37
• 19 Var. XVI. Allegro 01:03
• 20 Var. XVII 01:03
• 21 Var. XVIII. Poco moderato 01:36
• 22 Var. XIX. Presto 00:58
• 23 Var. XX. Andante 01:43
• 24 Var. XXI. Allegro con brio 01:09
• 25 Var. XXII. Allegro molto 00:38
• 26 Var. XXIII. Allegro assai 00:56
• 27 Var. XXIV. Fughetta. Andante 02:33
• 28 Var. XXV. Allegro 00:53
• 29 Var. XXVI 01:29
• 30 Var. XXVII. Vivace 01:02
• 31 Var. XXVIII. Allegro 01:05
• 32 Var. XXIX. Adagio ma non troppo 01:09
• 33 Var. XXX. Andante, sempre cantabile 01:47
• 34 Var. XXXI. Largo molto, Espressivo 04:32
• 35 Var. XXXII. Fuga. Allegro - Poco adagio 02:53
• 36 Var. XXXIII. Tempo di menuetto moderato 04:12
• 37 Thema. Vivace 00:48
• 38 Var. I. Alla marcia maestoso 01:40
• 39 Var. II. Poco allegro 00:54
• 40 Var. III. L'istesso tempo 01:25
• 41 Var. IV. Un poco più vivace 01:02
• 42 Var. V. Allegro vivace 01:00
• 43 Var. VI. Allegro ma non troppo e serioso 01:40
• 44 Var.VII. Un poco più allegro 01:14
• 45 Var. VIII. Poco vivace 01:31
• 46 Var. IX. Allegro pesante e risoluto 01:56
• 47 Var. X. Presto 00:44
• 48 Var. XI. Allegretto 01:07
• 49 Var. XII. Un poco più moto 01:05
• 50 Var. XIII. Vivace 01:13
• 51 Var. XIV. Grave e maestoso 03:32
• 52 Var. XV. Presto scherzando 00:40
• 53 Var. XVI. Allegro 01:03
• 54 Var. XVII 01:10
• 55 Var. XVIII. Poco moderato 01:40
• 56 Var. XIX. Presto 00:59
• 57 Var. XX. Andante 01:49
• 58 Var. XXI. Allegro con brio 01:11
• 59 Var. XXII. Allegro molto 00:43
• 60 Var. XXIII. Allegro assai 00:59
• 61 Var. XXIV. Fughetta. Andante 02:34
• 62 Var. XXV. Allegro 00:54
• 63 Var. XXVI 01:30
• 64 Var. XXVII. Vivace 01:05
• 65 Var. XXVIII. Allegro 01:12
• 66 Var. XXIX. Adagio ma non troppo 01:12
• 67 Var. XXX. Andante, sempre cantabile 01:58
• 68 Var. XXXI. Largo molto, espressivo 04:31
• 69 Var. XXXII. Fuga. Allegro - Poco adagio 03:02
• 70 Var. XXXIII. Tempo di menuetto moderato 04:18
• Sechs Bagatellen op. 126 (1823/24)
• 71 Andante con moto cantabile e compiacevole 02:55
• 72 Allegro 02:56
• 73 Andante cantabile e grazioso 02:23
• 74 Presto 03:44
• 75 Quasi allegretto 02:16
• 76 Presto - Andante amabile e con moto 04:01
• Total Runtime 02:29:34

Info for Ludwig van Beethoven: Diabelli-Variationen

Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations are considered a magnum opus of the piano repertoire, a towering contribution to the genre and an entire encyclopaedia of pianism. Following his monumental exploration of the 32 Sonatas, András Schiff has recorded - on two period instruments - remarkable, contrasting versions of the Diabelli Variations alongside major late works with intrinsic ties to them.

The Sonata Op. 111 and the Diabelli Variations (CD 1) are played on an original Bechstein grand from 1921, and the second reading of the Diabelli Variations (paired with the Six Bagatelles, Op. 126 on CD 2) on a Hammerflügel fortepiano from Beethoven’s own day.

This gives listeners a unique opportunity to compare the rich range of these highly contrasting sonic universes, a world apart from modern day instruments. The first is a studio recording from Lugano in December 2012, while the fortepiano version was recorded at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn in July of the same year. In his liner note András Schiff acknowledges the value of having been able to consult the previously unknown original manuscript of the Variations which provided invaluable insight into Beethoven’s compositional process - with his penmanship and writing speed offering subtle hints as to crescendos, tempos and arcs of tension - and intentions.

András Schiff, piano

As a young pianist, András Schiff earned wide esteem for his 1980s recordings of the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach; in recent years, as part of his long-term relationship with ECM, he has gone back to Bach as a sage veteran, earning even more acclaim for his New Series versions of the Goldberg Variations (2001) and the Six Partitas (2007), both intimate concert recordings. In August 2011, Schiff turned his focus to the 48 preludes and fugues of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, recording both Books I and II in the Auditorium Radiosvizzera Italiana, Lugano. The performance of these influential works sets new interpretive standards. For the recording, Schiff’s own Steinway was brought to Lugano, and the production beautifully captures a masterful player and his instrument of choice.

András Schiff, born in Budapest in 1953, puts a strong focus on cyclic performances of the important piano works by the masters from Bach to Bártok. His wide-ranging discography on ECM includes works by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Janáček, among many others. One of Schiff's most ambitious projects to date, the complete Beethoven sonata cycle was performed in 20 major musical centers worldwide and recorded for ECM in concert at the Zürich Tonhalle. In 1999, Schiff created his own chamber orchestra, the Cappella Andrea Barca, which consists of international soloists, chamber musicians and friends. In addition to working annually with this orchestra, he conducts London’s Philharmonia Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Booklet for Ludwig van Beethoven: Diabelli-Variationen