Beethoven's "Diabelli Variations" (Studies in musical genesis & structure) - Tapa dura

Beethoven's "Thirty-Three Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli", his longest, most complex piece for piano, stands beside the "Ninth Symphony", the "Missa Solemnis", and the late quartets as one of the monumental achievements of his last period. William Kinderman's study of the compositional origins is the first extended study of the sketches. In contrast to earlier views of its chronology, he shows that it was begun in 1819, then put aside, to be resumed in 1822-23. By exploring the sketches in the context of Beethoven's other works of this time, the books shows how he transforms, parodies, and ultimately transcends Diabelli's commonplace waltz in a fascinating series of historical allusions to other composers in the final variations. The author's investigation sheds light on Beethoven's working methods, on the structure of the finished work, and ultimately on the nature of the creative process itself.