Speaker: Peter Roennfeldt

Diabelli's massive commissioning project of variations on his waltz from 50 composers came to fruition in 1823. The fascinating kaleidoscope of inventive techniques and textures offers intriguing insights into many composers who warrant further investigation. The innocuous theme also inspired Beethoven’s final monumental piano work. This presentation examines some questions that arise: the notion of collaborative composition, the question of performance practice in a work that rests virtually unacknowledged in the shadow of the ‘canon’, and the ways that artistic coherence can be imbued into such a diverse creative concept. An original piano of the period is featured.