Variations for piano (Webern)

{\omit Score.TimeSignature \omit Score.BarLine dis'1 b'1 ais'1 d'!1 cis'1 c'!1 fis'1 e'1 g'1 f'!1 a'!1 gis'1}
First tone row of the third movement[1][2]

Variations for piano, Op. 27, is a twelve-tone piece for piano composed by Anton Webern in 1936. It consists of three movements:

  1. Sehr mäßig (Very moderate)
  2. Sehr schnell (Very fast)
  3. Ruhig fließend (Calmly flowing)

Webern's only published work for solo piano, the Variations are one of his major instrumental works and a signal example of his late style.[3] Webern dedicated the work to pianist Eduard Steuermann.[4] However, it was premiered (after months of coaching from Webern) by Peter Stadlen on 26 October 1937 in Vienna.[5] Much later Stadlen produced the definitive interpretive edition of Op. 27, published by Universal Edition in 1979.[6]

  1. ^ Bailey 1991, p. 24.
  2. ^ Wason 1987, p. 74.
  3. ^ Bailey 1998, p. 151
  4. ^ Webern 1937: "Eduard Steuermann / gewidmet" (on frontispiece).
  5. ^ Bailey 1998, p. 152.
  6. ^ Burge 1980.