Beethoven: 13 Variations on 'Es war einmal ein alter Mann', WoO 66

Introduction

Dittersdorf's comic opera Das rothe Käppchen greatly impressed the young Beethoven in its Bonn production, in 1792. He was particularly attracted to a popular arietta from that opera, "Es war einmal ein alter Mann," which he decided to use as a basis for this set of piano variations.

The Dittersdorf theme is rather lengthy and would thus not appear to be the kind that would lend itself well to variations. It is delightful in its sprightliness and humor, and features a surprising sudden stop in the middle of a cadence. This little twist must have appealed to Beethoven, for he constantly plays up this feature in the variations. Some might feel he overdoes it, but he usually manages to impart humor when using the device. Throughout the set, too, are both color and a fine sense of contrast. Most tempo markings are fast, and even the lone relaxed variation is humorous in its brief funereally paced section. After each variation there is a pause, and then the next begins, as though each were a separate piece.

While Beethoven had not completely broken from the influence of Mozart at this time, there is little here that can be linked to his imposing style. This set of variations was first published in Bonn in 1793. A typical performance lasts from about 12 to 14 minutes.