The source theme that Chopin used here is the melody to the popular number, "Je vends des scapulaires" (I sell seashells), from the comic opera Ludovic by Ferdinand Herold. Often certain listings attribute this opera to two composers, Herold and Bizet's father-in-law, Fromental Halévy, who completed the effort after Herold's death, in 1833. Many composers were fond of turning popular operatic themes into variation works for piano, among the most prominent being Beethoven and Liszt. Chopin, too, was drawn to the practice, but produced fewer such compositions.

This Ludovic Variations set has a similar structure to Chopin's Fantasia on Polish airs for piano and orchestra, Op. 13 (1828). That composition featured an introduction, followed by three movements employing Polish themes. Here, there are no movements used to separate sections, but the formal layout is otherwise similar. The Allegro maestoso introduction that launches the work is light and colorful, with the thematic material fashioned from the variations derived from the theme. Near the end of this section the piano sweetly caresses cascades of notes in the upper register and the music eventually leads to the Herold melody, a lovely but stately and elegant creation, which the composer deftly converts to his stylistic tastes in the variations that follow.

Of particular note is the beguiling slow rendition of this melody in D flat. The ensuing Scherzo brings on the most energetic and brilliant music in the work. Here the mood is witty and playful, the piano writing full of color and acrobatics, leaving the soloist with more than a few technical hurdles to leap. The ending manages to bridge the normally wide gulf between subtlety and pyrotechnics with a magically thrilling finish.

While this is not a major masterpiece, it is a worthwhile composition that ought to be programmed with more regularity than it currently is. A typical performance of the Ludovic Variations lasts nine to ten minutes.

© 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.