ERIC HARRISON, HOST:
Good afternoon and thanks for tuning in to Little Rock Public Radio and Classical
KLRE-FM, 90.5. I'm Eric Harrison, I write about arts and culture at the Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette and I'll be your host for the next two hours.
You're listening to "Major and Minor Masterpieces," where we focus each week on a
broad range of classical music, from chamber music to choral works to full symphonies
and maybe even a touch or two of opera.
Today's theme is "Paganini variations."
Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840) was one of the greatest violinists of the early 19th
century. Among other things, he invented violin techniques that previous violinists hadn't
even dreamed of.
He wrote his 24 Caprices for unaccompanied violin between 1801 and 1807. The 24th
and last is the one played most often, and is in the form of a theme and 11 variations. It
has spurred composers in the 200-plus-years since to try their own hands at their own
versions of variations on that theme.
Let's start with the original piece, played by violinist Thomas Cotik.
(NICCOLO PAGANINI'S CAPRICE NO. 24 IN A MINOR FOR SOLO VIOLIN)
ERIC: Violinist Thomas Cotik played Niccolo Paganini's 24th Caprice for solo violin.
Johannes Brahms wrote sets of variations throughout his career, including upon themes
by George Frederic Handel for piano and a theme attributed to Franz Joseph Haydn. He
was so enraptured by Paganini's 24th Caprice that he wrote two books of variations on
it. Pianist Olga Kern plays them both here.
(JOHANNES BRAHMS' VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF PAGANINI, OP. 35)
ERIC: Pianist Olga Kern played Johannes Brahms' Variations on a Theme of Paganini -
-- both books --- on today's edition of Major and Minor Masterpieces on Little Rock
Public Radio and classical KLRE-FM, 90.5.
(SOUNDBITE OF WOJCIECH "BOITEG" CIESLIŃSKI'S "FIRST VIOLIN")
---PROGRAM BREAK---
(SOUNDBITE OF WOJCIECH "BOITEG" CIESLIŃSKI'S "FIRST VIOLIN")
Andrew Lloyd Webber is certainly not known as a composer of classical music --- his
name is, of course, associated with some of the biggest hits and longest-running shows
in the history of musical theater.
But Webber also wrote for the concert hall, including his "Requiem" and this pop-
classical fusion piece, simply titled "Variations," with his younger brother, cellist Julian
Lloyd Webber, based on, of course, the 24th Caprice by Paganini. Julian Lloyd Webber
is the cello soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Lorin Maazel.
(ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S "VARIATIONS")
ERIC: Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra and
conductor Lorin Maazel for Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Variations."
And now for what is probably the most famous set of variations on Paganini's 24th
Caprice: Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini."
Rachmaninoff wrote 24 variations on the theme, twisting, turning and augmenting it in
all sorts of ways, peaking with the sublimely lyrical 18th variation, which became one of
Rachmaninoff's best-known melodies.
(SERGEI RACHMANINOFF'S "RHAPSODY ON A THEME OF PAGANINI")
ERIC: Pianist Yuja Wang joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo
Dudamel in Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini."
And now for this week's lagniappe. 20th century British composer Benjamin Britten
wrote a set of variations, not on anything by Paganini, but on a theme by Baroque
composer Henry Purcell. Originally titled "Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Purcell,"
it's much better known by its nickname, "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra."
(BENJAMIN BRITTEN'S "THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA")
ERIC: Benjamin Britten conducted the London Symphony in his "Young Person's Guide
to the Orchestra" to conclude this week's show.
(SOUNDBITE OF WOJCIECH "BOITEG" CIESLIŃSKI'S "FIRST VIOLIN")
Thanks for tuning in this week. I've been your host, Eric Harrison, of the Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette. Our producer is Sarah Buford. Our transition and credit music is by
our friend Wojciech Chiselinski.
Tune in again next week for Major and Minor Masterpieces on Little Rock Public Radio
and classical KLRE-FM, 90.5.
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The recordings:
Paganini: Caprice No. 24 in a minor, Thomas Cotik, violin, "Capriccio," Centaur, CRC-
4130
Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35, for solo piano (2 books), Olga
Kern, piano, Harmonia Mundi, 907392DI
Andrew Lloyd Webber: Variations (1977), Julian Lloyd Webber, cello; London
Philharmonic Orchestra, Lorin Maazel. Philips 4203422
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Yuja Wang, piano; Los Angeles
Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel, Deutsche Grammophon 4864759
Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34, London Symphony
Orchestra, Benjamin Britten, 1963 recording, Decca 4256592