Mozart: Zwölf Variationen in B-Dur über ein Allegretto, K500

Most often, when it comes to Mozart’s works for piano, one forgets that, like Chopin and Liszt, Mozart was a great piano virtuoso. In his lifetime, his fame is due to a large extend to his gift to interpret. Indeed, he wrote a certain number of cycles of variations which bring out both the talent of the composer and that of the performer.

Composed in Paris, the 11th sonata in A major K.331 begins with a slow movement.

The Minuet and its Trio seem very close to a theme by Gluck and the last famous movement Alla Turca: Allegretto which is known for the French as the Marche Turque comes from the overture of the Pélerins de La Mecque by Gluck.

The Six Variations in F major on “Salve tu Domine” are the notation of improvisations given by Mozart on the 23rd March, 1783, in front of Joseph II. On this very day, Mozart was improvising the Ten Variations on the “Pélerins de La Mecque” from an opera of the same by Gluck. However, Mozart finishes them one year later.

The Twelve Variations on an allegretto were finished on the 12th September, 1786.

Mozart’s variations for the piano stand between two brillant successes, over a century apart, the variations Goldberg by Johann Sebastian and the variations Diabelli by Beethoven.