Diabelli Variations

[Mandryka]

Listening to Geoffrey Douglas Madge, my ears started to prick up in var 6. Madge's idea seems to be that one of the strengths of the music is in the counterpoint, and that's interesting I think. For me this one was put in the shade a bit by Uchida's release, Madge's came out in Autumn 2022 when I was thinking most about Uchida.  That was a shame, because we have something original here.  It's a "thoughtful" interpretation - he definitely does not see the music as a vehicle for displaying the piano player's skills, or for wowing the listener with speed or colour.  It's streaming everywhere.

If anyone has the booklet - is there anything interesting in it?

[San Antone]

Rudolf Buchbinder : The Diabelli Project
March 6, 2020



A new series of works based on Beethoven's monumental Diabelli Variations

Composers include:
Beethoven
Liszt
Schubert
Czerny
Franz Xaver Mozart
Lera Auerbach
Brett Dean
Tan Dun
Toshio Hosokawa
Christian Jost
Brad Lubman
Philippe Manoury
Max Richter
Rodion Shchedrin
Johannes Maria Staud
Jörg Widmann

He also published a book in which he discusses each variation and brought out what I found to be interesting concepts about the construction of the work as a whole, as opposed to just a set of individual variations.

Along with some of the historical variations other than Beethoven's he invited a group of living composers to contribute new variations, all of which he included in the recording. 

I found the entire package very rewarding.

[Mandryka]

Listening to Geoffrey Douglas Madge, my ears started to prick up in var 6. Madge's idea seems to be that one of the strengths of the music is in the counterpoint, and that's interesting I think. For me this one was put in the shade a bit by Uchida's release, Madge's came out in Autumn 2022 when I was thinking most about Uchida.  That was a shame, because we have something original here.  It's a "thoughtful" interpretation - he definitely does not see the music as a vehicle for displaying the piano player's skills, or for wowing the listener with speed or colour.  It's streaming everywhere.

If anyone has the booklet - is there anything interesting in it?

The booklet for Madge's recording. Not very interesting as far as I can see, but here it is anyway.

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/43/000152834.pdf

[Atriod]

I generally prefer romantic era variations, but these last few years Diabelli Variations is one of my most played works from Beethoven.

Updated list from a couple of years ago, in no particular order

Charles Rosen
R. Serkin (Columbia and BBC, better sound on the latter)
Brautigam
Schiff (ECM Bechstein)
Kovacevich* live (Onyx)
Gulda (Harmonia Mundi France)
Schnabel - uneven but much to like, a smiling performance

*never cared for his Philips recording