Johannes Brahms ： Theme and Variations from String Sextet No.1 in d-moll Op.18b

This set of variations for solo piano is based on the slow movement of the String Sextet No. 1. A songful theme is followed by a series of variations in which the register, rhythms, and combinations of voices change, giving the same musical material fresh expressions. One of the work’s points of interest is how the overlapping sonorities of the original string writing can be distinguished and recreated with the piano’s more limited range of colors. The principal melody should remain deeply cantabile, while the inner and bass lines are brought out with care, so that each variation’s character and the larger progression are clearly felt.