Unlike many of his notable contemporaries, Antonín Dvorák lay no claims to brilliant artistry as a pianist, and wrote relatively little solo repertoire for the instrument. What solo piano music he did compose frequently consisted of smaller works, such as the Dumka and Furiant, Op. 12, or collections of dances or character pieces, such as the Waltzes, Op. 54, the Mazurkas, Op. 56, and the Humoresques, Op. 101. In the fall of 1876, however, having just completed his Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 33, Dvorák's confidence in this genre seems to have increased, and by the end of the year he had completed his most substantial solo piano work, the Theme and Variations in A flat major, Op. 36.

As has been frequently observed, Dvorák seems to have taken as his model the first movement of Beethoven's Sonata No. 12 in A flat major, Op. 26. In addition to sharing the same key signature as well as the variation form, both pieces are cast in the same triple meter, and Dvorák's theme bears certain resemblances to Beethoven's. It is, however, its own piece, the 45-bar melody providing a wealth of variety, both in its own unfolding and as it is subjected to transformation. The most prominent feature of the theme is its initial leap followed by a quick chromatic descent, a thematic kernel that underscores virtually the entire composition. In the first variation, the figure is adorned with ornamental filigree, while in the second it is draped with more elaborately pianistic accompaniment. The third variation shifts to the minor mode, adding a sense of urgency to the contrasting passages of repose and restlessness. The mood turns mischievous in the fourth variation, marked Allegretto scherzando, and grandiose in the fifth, a bold and boisterous exercise in octaves. By the arrival of the sixth variation, the theme has undergone substantial transformation, the descending chromatic figure only hinted at by the rising chromatic gesture within this tranquil G flat passage. The busy piano figuration of the seventh variation, with its far-ranging runs, is halted rather abruptly in deference to the stately eighth and final variation, with its dotted rhythms and virtuosic aplomb. The apparent climax, however, painted in broad strokes over a sturdy bass, dissipates suddenly; Dvorák, the knowing non-pianist, ends instead with a quiet recollection.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.