Mendelssohn's Variations sérieuses, Op.54, were written as a tribute to Beethoven, with proceeds from their publication funding a monument to the composer in Bonn.
Performer Biography
Sarah Beth Briggs, the pianist on this recording, became the youngest-ever finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year at age 11.
Performer Biography
Four years after her BBC Young Musician success, Sarah Beth Briggs gained international recognition as joint winner of the International Mozart Competition in Salzburg.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's 6 Variations Op.34 represent a revolution in the genre, with each subsequent variation appearing in a key a third below the previous one, astonishing his contemporaries.
Instruments
The piano used for this recording is a Wyastone Steinway model D, tuned by Gavin Crooks.
Recording & Production
This recording was made at the Wyastone Concert Hall with support from The Nimbus Foundation.
Composition History
Mozart's 9 Variations K.573 were penned to flatter King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, whose chamber music director, Jean-Pierre Duport, composed the minuet theme.
