Diabelli Variations Op. 120

Beethoven’s most significant contribution to the form of variation is represented by the 33 changes made between 1819 and 1823 on a waltz by A. Diabelli. “No variations of the ordinary kind, but a great and important masterpiece,” is aptly stated in the announcement of the original edition. The Viennese publisher Anton Diabelli had then asked 50 composers to contribute a variation on his waltz for an anthology. However, Beethoven took this as an opportunity for a comprehensive examination of the tradition of the genre. The revised original text edition based on the Critical Report of the Beethoven Complete Edition appears as a single edition from the volume “Variations for Piano II” (HN 1269). A detailed preface and remarks inform about the current state of research.