The 'Handel' Variations are considered one of the greatest sets of variations ever written, praised for their clarity, variety, and freedom.
The 'Eroica' Variations are based on a theme Beethoven also used for a Contradanse and, most famously, for the finale of his 'Eroica' Symphony.
Brahms's 'Handel' Variations were inspired by the playing of Carl Tausig, a Polish-Bohemian virtuoso and Liszt disciple.
Beethoven's 'Eroica' Variations are a unique blend of forms, including passacaglia, chaconne, variation, fugue, canon, dance, aria, and fantasy.
Beethoven considered his 'Eroica' Variations to be in a "quite new style," treating each theme independently and differently.
Beethoven's principal sets of variations for piano, including the 'Eroica' Variations, span a creative period greater than his 32 sonatas.
Brahms himself, a significant pianist, first performed his 'Handel' Variations in Vienna on November 29, 1861, alongside works by Bach and Schumann.
