Beethoven: 6 Variations on a Swiss song, WoO 64

Introduction

The date of composition of this work is not known, although it is believed to have come prior to 1793. Some musicologists have speculated that it was composed around 1790, the time of Beethoven's student years. It was actually written for harp or piano and is generally not viewed as a significant effort, even considering the composer's youth and inexperience.

The theme is rather colorless in its simple, two-voice makeup and brevity (eight measures). It has the nondescript kind of character that one hears in a piece written for beginning music students. The variations themselves are hardly inventive and display little of the genius to come. Variations four and five do show a modicum of charm, but the primary significance of this piece may be that it was the first the composer wrote for harp. In his ballet The Creatures of Prometheus (1800-01), Beethoven wrote a harp solo for the fifth movement, this time supplying much better music. These were the only two instances he composed for harp.

A typical performance of the Swiss Song Variations lasts just under four minutes.