Mendelssohn wrote three sets of piano variations in 1841, but this was the only group published during his lifetime; it is regarded as the finest of the three, and, indeed, it remains Mendelssohn's most-often performed substantial piano work. The solemn theme, despite a few anachronistic harmonic excursions, evokes Baroque keyboard music, and reminds us of Mendelssohn's admiration of J.S. Bach. There follow 17 miniature variations packed into little more than ten minutes. What they lack in length they make up for in their wide range. The first evokes a solemn Bach harpsichord Invention. After that, the texture becomes slightly denser, and by the third variation Mendelssohn summons an urgency almost reminiscent of Beethoven. What follows is a miniscule scherzo, which leads to a quick chordal treatment. Later variations hold a Brahmsian power or are fleet and virtuosic or launch a sober little canon or break into song. Throughout, the mood is exactly as advertised: serious, without a trace of the elfin spirit that marks many of Mendelssohn's most popular works. The piece culminates in a short series of resounding, highly dramatic variations that abruptly give way to a few quiet concluding chords, returning in the final seconds to the mood of the opening bars.

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