It's hard to believe that this is the first time that Brendel's Diabelli gets in my Blog, this is a major recording, and the version that i truly got to know the Diabelli with, way back in 1993, of course other Diabelli's have crept in to supplement and expand my view of these evergreen Variations, but this is a touchstone set, silly and flippant at first [the Diabelli theme is no great masterpiece], but Beethoven twists and distorts it into so many shapes, that you can't help marvel at some of the things he does with it, of course some of the Variations are barely over half a minute long [Variation 15 is 37 seconds long], but most are nearer the minute mark [21 of the 33 variations], making it unlike say Bach's Goldberg or Brahms's Handel, short pithy ideas, and yet at times full of profoundness, and at last it develops a seriousness and depth to it, what a transformation from beginning to end.
Alfred Brendel is Austrian, now 81 years old and retired from playing, he recorded this disc in 1988, the front cover shows a photograph [by Alecio De Andrade], of Brendel on a park bench, not the greatest of shots, but the lettering is nicely lined up on the wall.
The Variations that i loved the most were 7, 10, 16-17, 19, 23-25 & 27, with the very best three being 10, 17 & 23, and i would like to give my thoughts and feeling on Brendel's interpretation of these three.
Variation 10 [13:01] - One of the shortest Variations, only 41 seconds long, a jumpy and warbling Presto, full of staccato, but slightly veering toward a more legato towards the end, very much in the treble part of the keyboard, sounds like a Variation very much in a hurry, become louder and louder, a fair treble outburst at the end.
Variation 17 [7:22] - Almost the big brother of Variation 10, left hand bass beating out a march, right hand treble frantic and whining, rather like an arguing Husband and Wife!.
Variation 23 [0:41] - A lovely scampering Variation, only 47 seconds long, bass note outbursts, with the right hand trilling and all over the place, imagine a cockroach darting all over the place, and someone trying to whack it with a shoe!, you get the idea, it was my favourite of the whole lot, and the soft and gorgeous tones of the next Variation are the perfect antidote, they go so well together.
The timings after the Variations refer to the YouTube videos to which they refer.
Variation 10 [13:01] - One of the shortest Variations, only 41 seconds long, a jumpy and warbling Presto, full of staccato, but slightly veering toward a more legato towards the end, very much in the treble part of the keyboard, sounds like a Variation very much in a hurry, become louder and louder, a fair treble outburst at the end.
Variation 17 [7:22] - Almost the big brother of Variation 10, left hand bass beating out a march, right hand treble frantic and whining, rather like an arguing Husband and Wife!.
Variation 23 [0:41] - A lovely scampering Variation, only 47 seconds long, bass note outbursts, with the right hand trilling and all over the place, imagine a cockroach darting all over the place, and someone trying to whack it with a shoe!, you get the idea, it was my favourite of the whole lot, and the soft and gorgeous tones of the next Variation are the perfect antidote, they go so well together.
The timings after the Variations refer to the YouTube videos to which they refer.
