Variations on a Theme of Chopin (Rachmaninoff)

Chopin's Prelude No. 20 in C minor. Rachmaninoff uses only the first 8 bars plus end-chord, and changes the E♭ in the last chord of bar 3 to E♮.

Not to be confused with works of the same title by Federico Mompou, Ferruccio Busoni, or Roger Smalley.

Variations on a Theme of Chopin (Russian: Вариации на тему Ф. Шопена, Variatsii na temu F. Shopena), Op. 22, is a group of 22 variations on Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor (Op. 28, No. 20), composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1902–03. In the first edition, it is noted that 3 of the variations and the final Presto section can be omitted if the performer wishes.

Variations

The form of the piece is:

Theme: Largo, 9 bars
  1. Moderato (66 bpm), 8 bars
  2. Allegro (122 bpm), 8 bars
  3. 132 bpm, 8 bars
  4. 132 bpm, 24 bars of 3
    4
  5. Meno mosso (92 bpm), 8 bars
  6. Meno mosso (64 bpm), 12 bars of 6
    4
  7. Allegro (120 bpm), 8 bars (Note: This variation may be omitted)
  8. 120 bpm, 8 bars
  9. 120 bpm, 8 bars
  10. Più vivo (144 bpm), 14 bars (Note: This variation may be omitted)
  11. Lento (44 bpm), 14 bars of 12
    8
  12. Moderato (60 bpm), 32 bars (Note: This variation may be omitted)
  13. Largo (52 bpm), 16 bars
  14. Moderato (72 bpm), 24 bars of 4
    4     then one bar of 2
    4    .
  15. Allegro scherzando (132 bpm), 45 bars of 12
    8     in F minor.
  16. Lento (54 bpm), 14 bars in F minor.
  17. Grave (46 bpm), 18 bars of 3
    4     in B♭ minor.
  18. Più mosso, 12 bars in B♭ minor.
  19. Allegro vivace, 35 bars in A major.
  20. Presto (92 dotted minims per minute): 108 bars of 3
    4     in A major and C♯ minor.
  21. Andante (60 dotted crotchets per minute): 24 bars in D♭ major followed by 29 bars of 3
    4     in C major marked Più vivo (100 bpm).
  22. Maestoso (100 bpm) 82 bars of 3
    4     in C major. Then 9 bars marked Meno mosso. Finally, 19 bars marked Presto. (Note: These final 19 bars may be omitted)

References

Notes
    Sources
    • Anderson, Keith (1999). Rachmaninov: Variations on a Theme of Chopin/Preludes (CD). Naxos Records. 8.554426.
    • Matthew-Walker, Robert (1993). Rachmaninov: The Complete Solo Piano Music (PDF) (CD). Hyperion Records. CDS44041/8.
    • Rachmanov, Dimitry (2007). "Rachmaninoff: Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42" (PDF). Pianist.


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