Cédric Tiberghien (piano)
Harmonia Mundi HMM902435.36 120:34 mins (2 discs)
Beethoven’s very first published work was a set of variations, while his Diabelli Variations, written during his late period, have been described as the ‘greatest set of variations ever written’. In between, the composer wrote nearly 20 named variation sets, as well as many variation movements in his other works, not to mention the countless improvisations he gave as a pianist, never written down and now lost. It says something about us as listeners today that considerably less attention is given to them than his symphonies and sonatas.
Not so for Cédric Tiberghien, who is on a mission to explore them all. This is the rewarding second volume, weaving between Beethoven’s music and illuminating interjections by others. His playing is characterful and lively, relishing the inventive ways in which the composer could play with an idea.
On the first disc, we plunge into Beethoven’s tragic mood with the 32 C minor Variations, balanced by the rarer 24 Variations on ‘Venni amore’ – one of the instances when he turned a light operatic aria into a piano piece. In between, the historical scene is set with melancholic Sweelinck and lyrical Bach, while a brooding performance of Bach’s Chaconne, arranged by Brahms, ends this sequence.
The second disc offers a different flavour, with Morton Feldman, John Cage and George Crumb offering tranquil reflections between several shorter variation sets. It might be easy to write these off as less serious, but listen to the variations on ‘Rule, Britannia!’ and ‘God Save the King’ to see just what fun Beethoven could have with a theme. Plus there are three other variation sets to enjoy, including that very first set, on a march by Ernst Christoph Dressler.
