Arietta Music

Arietta Music • 303 West Griggs Street • Urbana, IL 61801 • (217) 344-8609

Arietta-001 Beethoven "The Diabelli Variations", William Kinderman, piano

A beautiful two disc collection includes the full studio recording of the Diabelli Variations performed by William Kinderman and a 45 minute lecture about the variations by William Kinderman (with live excerpts from a performance of the Diabelli Variations in Bakersfield, California, 2002). Also included is a 24 page booklet with liner notes by William Kinderman, Moisés Kaufman, and Geoffrey Merritt.

"William Kinderman is the scholar-performer to whom Alfred Brendel entrusts his programme notes ... and the author of a recent Beethoven monograph ... [This playing] takes an expansive delight in the music's wonder-filled journey ... toughened by the many insights his research has yielded ... Not to be missed." (The Times)

"Really in a class of its own, remarkably fresh and well thought out ... The most outstanding Diabelli Variations to have appeared for ages." (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)

"Pianistically and interpretatively engaging, Kinderman's Diabelli Variations is certainly one of the most original and compelling to date." (Journal of The Beethoven Society of Europe)

"A formidable pianist ... Kinderman's exemplary clarity allows us to hear every detail of the amazing score and to marvel afresh at its beauty and sheer ingenuity." (The Sunday Times)

Oxford University Press re-releases Willam Kinderman's critically acclaimed "Beethoven's Diabelli Variations" (Paperback) -- Available March, 2008

The Thirty-three Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120, represent Beethoven's most extraordinary achievement in the art of variation-writing. In their originality and power of invention, they stand beside other late Beethoven masterpieces such as the Ninth Symphony, the Missa Solemnis, and the last quartets. William Kinderman's study of the compositional history of the work includes the first extended investigation and reconstruction of the sketches and drafts, and reveals, contrary to earlier views of its chronology, that it was actually begun in 1819, then put aside, and completed in 1822-3. Kinderman also provides an analytical discussion of the complete work, and he demonstrates how insights derived from a close study of the sketches can illuminate Beethoven's compositional ideas and attitudes and contribute substantially to a better understanding of this massive and complex set of variations. The book includes complete transcriptions of the two central documents in the genesis of the Diabelli variations - the reconstructed Wittgenstein Sketchbook and the Paris - Landsberg - Montauban Draft.
(link to "Beethoven's Diabelli Variations" page at Amazon and Oxford University Press)

Moisés Kaufman's "33 Variations" at the LaJolla Playhouse - April 8 - May 4, 2008

About the Playhouse: La Jolla Playhouse, a Tony Award-winning professional non-profit theatre, is located in the San Diego coastal suburb of La Jolla, California. Its mission is to advance theatre as an art form and as a vital social, moral and political platform by providing unfettered creative opportunities for the leading artists of today and tomorrow. With a youthful spirit and eclectic, artist-driven approach, the Playhouse cultivates a local and national following with an insatiable appetite for audacious and diverse work. (more)
About Moisés Kaufman's "33 Variations": Written and directed by one of the most produced playwrights today, Moisés Kaufman, 33 Variations is a feast for the senses and the spirit. Illuminated with Beethoven's sheet music and accompanied by acclaimed concert pianist Diane Walsh, this captivating musical mystery reminds us that true and lasting genius lies in discovering the sublime in our everyday. (more)

Listen to William Kinderman's entire Diabelli Variations lecture/performance CD: streaming or mp3 (40 megs).