Themes & Variations: Variations by Nineteen British Composers

Featuring

Jac van Steen
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Arthur Oldham
Nicholas Maw
Oliver Knussen

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Notable Performances

For the premiere of "Variations on an Elizabethan Theme," the composers' names were announced alphabetically, and the public was invited to guess who wrote what, but no one guessed correctly.

Performer Biography

Jac van Steen, the conductor, teaches conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague in addition to his international conducting career.

Composition History

The "Variations on Sumer is icumen in" (1987) were created to mark the 40th season of the Aldeburgh Festival, reviving the idea of collaborative variations.

Composition History

The "Variations on an Elizabethan Theme" (1953) were commissioned by Benjamin Britten to celebrate the Coronation of Elizabeth II.

Performer Biography

The BBC Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1930, has given the first performances of over 1,000 pieces and worked with composers like Bartók, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky.

Composition History

The "Severn Bridge Variations" (1966) were commissioned by the BBC to celebrate the opening of the Severn suspension bridge linking England and Wales.

Composition History

The tradition of collaborative variations, where multiple composers contribute to a single work, has existed since at least 1819, notably with Anton Diabelli's invitation to 50 composers.