DiabelliVariationen

The Diabelli Variations, Op. 120, is a set of 33 piano variations by Ludwig van Beethoven on a theme provided by Anton Diabelli. Composed between 1819 and 1823, the work was published in 1823.

Diabelli invited a group of composers to contribute variations on a simple waltz he had written; among the submissions, Beethoven produced the largest and most cohesive contribution, which was published separately as Op. 120. The project highlighted different approaches to variation form across the contributing composers, but Beethoven’s contribution remains the centerpiece.

The variations cover a wide range of character and technique, from light, humorous sketches to intensely virtuosic and expansive passages. Beethoven gradually increases technical and dramatic tension, and the set culminates in a substantial contrapuntal finale that reworks the original theme into a grand, integrated form.

The Diabelli Variations are widely regarded as a peak of Beethoven’s late style and a landmark in piano literature. They have influenced later composers and remain a central work for performers and scholars interested in variation form, contrapuntal writing, and the evolution of Beethoven’s musical language.