Marc-André Hamelin- Variations on a Theme by Paganini (Sheet Music)

[@antoniusnies-komponistpian2172]

I'll try to make a complete list of references: Theme 0:00 Niccolò Paganini - Caprice No. 24 Var. 1 0:31 Franz Liszt - Mazeppa (just the pianistic feeling, not literal) Var. 5 3:13 Frédéric Chopin - Barcarolle op. 60 Var. 7 3:53 Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata op. 109, third movement, Var. 3 Var. 9 4:35 reminds me of the popular Solfeggietto by C. Ph. E. Bach which also has a similar harmonic pattern Var. 10 4:57 Anton Webern - Variations op. 27, Var. 2, I trust my pre-commentator here, 5:10 end of Sergej Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini Var. 11 5:19 a random ragtime 5:25 another random show music 5:32 Salsa pattern, like already written 5:37 Johannes Brahms - Hungarian Dance No. 5 5:40 and so on: Beethoven - 5th Symphony, first movement, ending Var. 12 6:59 a bit of BACH-structure in the middle-voice - unfortunately not, but almost... Var. 13 7:10 Rachmaninov - same work as above, the popular Var. 18, rereversed, in some different keys 7:49 every high note cluster in tonal music reminds me on Rautavaara's 1st Piano Concerto Var. 14 8:51 Liszt - Campanella Etude The idea of bringing the theme downshifted by a semitone shortly before finale is once again borrowed from the Rachmaninov Rhapsody, this in turn has probably taken it from the last movement of Chopins first Piano Concerto 9:21 figure in the right hand: Chopin first Ballade? Anything else?

[@TheExarion]

A gem of a comment.

[@antoniusnies-komponistpian2172]

TheExarion Thank you, I rarely felt so loved before like when I got a heart from you =D Little ad: I also like to do stuff like this. Not as professional as Hamelin, not so advanced and only in German, but you'll find Variations for piano and orchestra on my channel, and some piano pieces

[@MusicIsMyLife6991]

Variation 7 also references Brahms' Paganini Variations, book 2, variation 7 :)

[@fernandoserico77]

Beginning of var 4 -> Rachmaninov Etude tableau op. 39 n. 1

[@fernandoserico77]

Antonius Nies c Var 11 -> Brahms var 13 from book 2 (just a little bit)

[@June_Hee]

His sense of humor never goes away. I heard this live a few years ago and it was amazing.

[@user-74652]

From hearing a few of Hamelin's compositions, he seems like an... interesting person.

[@TheExarion]

+Random user #74652819 After seeing your name on here, I'd be quick to say the same about you haha.

[@TheExarion]

***** I'm getting very close to blocking you.

[@thebrainnugget]

+RichardKastleMusic Depends, will you or will you not bag it first?

[@ianmoore5502]

+RichardKastleMusic I sense jealousy seated deeply in your utter sense of inadequacy, which correlates well to your tendency to make up absolute nonsense. I like to study you solely for the example you set of how not to be, as humans go. I hope you know there is no reason to behave that way and that you are loved, having nothing to do with the piano. Your identity is not the piano, you are not your brain, either. You have let a lot go to your head, and you consider people lesser. I hope you grow. I sincerely do.

[@ianmoore5502]

***** The fact that I can get a rise out of you with a comment like that further drives home my point :) Says a lot that a pianist as "moronic" as Hamelin doesn't have time to talk to his fanbase because he's too busy being such a fucking genius, making actually enjoyable music. His fanbase is also far too large to reach out to enough of them for it to be fair, I suppose. :) You poor tormented soul.

[@thejils1669]

Here's the interesting thing about Paganini's famous (or maybe infamous) theme which everybody on God's green Earth seems so compelled to write a seemingly infinite number of variations for: because of how its rhythmic modulation is constructed, you can literally take ANY musical motif, modify it just a hair to match the Paganini modulation and because of its naturally resolving ending, everything can be fashioned to fit like a glove...in essence, it is the perfect thematic material to fashion variations around...it's the ending of the musical figure that does it!

[@frankoppedijk]

Variation 18 (13): An inversion of Rachmaninovs inversion of Paganini's theme.. LOL at 7:10

[@IanTranSend]

Haha 1) a randomly interspersed salsa progression 2) "*Make sure to feel the three bars in two. (Make sure the audience does as well.)" - @ 08:48 3) "The effect should be like flipping between radio stations." @ - 05:15 All artfully done. As bizarre (and fun) as it would be to write/perform the piece, fantastic work.

[@anfarahat]

3:53 That's actually one of Beethoven's variations in the last movement of his celebrated op 109 piano sonata, transcribed to a minor key. I am stunned of the connection Hamelin made between two seemingly unrelated works.

[@RobinLSL]

Thanks for noticing this. I *knew* I had heard this before, but couldn't figure out where.

[@Ethan-ib5hk]

Speaking of Beethoven 5:41 is Symphony no 5

[@Yubin_Lee_Doramelin]

In fact, Hamelin and Beethoven's Op. 109 have a connection. His second wife Cathy Fuller loves the Beethoven Sonata, so he included a Beethoven-inspired melody in Hamelin's another variation called "Cathy's Variations".

[@ShaunakDesaiPiano]

4:05 whereas this section is influenced heavily by a similar variation in Brahms’ own Paganini variations.

[@윤영서-j5m]

8:40~9:15 is an AMAZING part

[@PointyTailofSatan]

This probably would have had Paganini laughing his head off if he had heard it.

[@Yhiith]

fallacy maaaaaan

[@RedZed1974]

Either that or infuriated

[@ninjaassassin27]

I agree. Part of being a good artist is knowing when to take a joke. I feel that Hamelin plays the 'trickster' role frequently in his work, as both a performer and (apparently) a composer.

[@sussybaka3117]

@@ninjaassassin27 lol "apparently" you hit the nail on the head. I wouldn't call him a composer.

[@ninjaassassin27]

@@sussybaka3117 No, I am very serious. He is one of the best satirical composers I have ever seen. The best, actually.

[@AndromedaCripps]

Hamelin’s music never fails to be simultaneously comedic, virtuosic, and masterfully artistic!

[@selinazhang7809]

Theme 0:06 Variation 1 0:31 Variation 2 0:52 Variation 3 1:17 Variation 4 1:43 Variation 5 2:16 Variation 6 3:26 Variation 7 3:53 Variation 8 4:17 Variation 9 4:35 Variation 10 4:57 Variation 11 5:13 Variation 12 5:53 Variation 13 7:12 Variation 14 8:00

[@rossanopinelli5150]

At 4:57 you can find a reminiscence of Webern's Variations op. 27, the 2nd one. Hamelin isn't only a great composer, but also knows very well the History of Music and is able to find connections between styles and authors apparently very far.

[@michelcamus9243]

Merci, Exarion! Coupling the score visually and the resounding and extraordinary performance bu Hamelin is a great contribution. It really shows the musical complexity, the pianistic virtuosity and the genius of Hamelin. He is not just one of the best pianists in the world ...! Thanks.

[@erwinschulhoff4464]

Kinda random but what piece have you been recently addicted to - you couldent stop listening over and over

[@mysterium364]

Marc-André Hamelin Is a musician whom I respect a lot. He has good taste in recent composers.

[@gustavsoler1812]

in 100 years: variations on variations on variations on variations on variations on a theme by paganini

[@luableah7615]

The random ragtime tune killed me.

[@bennyg2314]

5:32 loooool

[@ChristianJiang]

Bennett Garfield I also found it very lolly

[@RichardStClair-vh9og]

I love the sneaky quotations from the classical literature. Var. 7 and the Diabelli Variations. Echos of Chopin, Debussy, many others. Very engaging piece!

[@daniloberaldo570]

This music inspires me so much!

[@ChristianJiang]

5:19 Lol, that’s so random

[@rossanopinelli5150]

Hamelin è un musicista strepitoso, compositore di enorme talento (e di immensa cultura) oltre che lo straordinario pianista che tutti conosciamo.

[@pianobanana3863]

4:40 to 4:44 Reference to a part of the Fantasia of Opus Clavicembalisticum by Sorabji?

[@beenthereonce]

Thanks for posting that with the music. Very creative and I love the harmonies.

[@gidster192]

I love the one where he rewrote La Campanella, tho it’s based off another piece originally he made it also be based off of the 24th caprice which I thought was really beautiful

[@LeeBerache]

This man is a freaking genius!!!!!

[@PointyTailofSatan]

The present day Liszt.

[@zzzut]

In my book, Hamelin is the Paganini of pianists.

[@samuelmaso98]

5:46-5:49 Beethoven 5th Symphony.

[@kliberalsing]

Sooo much better than simplistic pop songs! Thanks for sharing this fun "near-impossible" solo piano piece. I'm happy that a few individuals are still able to compose and play modern masterpieces; to combine complexity with humour and wit. There is still hope for mankind.

[@TheExarion]

As much as I wanna appreciate this comment, it just screams "pretentious" and "superiority complex". There's no need to put down different styles of music or suggest that mankind is somehow nearing its wit's/artistic end just because simpler music exists. That being said, I'm glad you enjoy the music presented here.

[@aidanguy2182]

@@TheExarion Couldn't have said it better myself, it's all music and should be treated that way; complex or not.

[@greggi331]

I know, but this is still better than Nicki Minaj 🥸

[@GarySchmidtPianist]

WOW. Great music but insanely insanely difficult. Full of great imagination though. Love all the musical nods to other composers, many of whom also wrote their set variations on this same theme. Very obvious references to RachmANninoff, Liszt, Beethoven, and others.

[@pierreparadis6825]

Magnificient .Genius symply

[@pierreparadis6825]

Merci beaucoup : le propos s'impose de lui-même.

[@artyzach]

Var 11... omg hahaha

[@marvelamadeus2974]

Lol hahahah

[@herobrine1847]

Lol hahahah

[@MicoAquinoComposer]

Lol hahahah

[@SpiritHourglass]

In addition to the excellent references everyone else is pointing out: I'd like to add by saying that the beginning of variation 1 is certainly a nod to Mazeppa by Liszt. I also don't think it would be inappropriate to say that variation 2 is a nod to Ginastera

[@maestrotheoretically519]

5:19 what happend There? Ohhhhhh... George Gershwin entered the room

[@collinm.4652]

“The effect should be like flipping through radio stations” Funny guy lol

[@RMPdude]

Incredible!

[@ytyt3922]

If Hamelin and Jascha Heifetz had been of the same generation, they might have put themselves in the hospital trying to outdo each other’s virtuosity in their respective instruments.

[@heifetz14]

I heard that Heifetz and Horowitz were maybe going to perform together. The story goes that they could not agree about who,s name should appear first on the publicity stuff. Heifetz would win just on the alphabet.

[@mrcool9714]

Thank u very much for sharing

[@LuisMetracrepas]

5:45 I've never seen a 1/4 measure before...

[@tguiot]

There's a reference to Chopin's Barcarolle around 3:13

[@samuelmaso98]

And Beethoven 5th Symphony at 5:46-5:49.

[@lachansondelafolleaubordde8409]

And Rachmaninov's Paganini rhapsody ver.18 at 7:12-8:00

[@soongsoong123]

And La Campanella + Caprice theme at 8:50-9:27

[@DanielZiomko]

And Liszt etude 'Mazeppa' at 0:31-0:50

[@DanielZiomko]

And Liszt etude 'Mazeppa' at 0:31-0:50

[@os4mike]

Just when you think you're getting better at playing!

[@javierbirruezo]

How do you play the chord at 7:49? I'm trying to figure it out

[@joshuahart153]

The score says “flat hand” above the notes, so I think you just lay your hand flat sideways and hit all the keys lol

[@jackychan7758]

Timestamps 0:01 Main Theme - Rockstar-ish 0:31 Tom and Jerry, definitely Tom and Jerry 0:52 Thats why 12-tone sounds wacky 1:17 !111JUMPSCARE ALERT!111!!! 1:43 This jit as meaty as prokofiev 2:16 Making contemporary composers mad yay!!! :D 3:26 Ah yes Sorabji seasoning 3:54 Epic momen 0.1 4:17 What else to comment here? 4:35 Waterfall... but its firefly 4:57 The sneakiest variation EVER 5:14 VARIATION 11, THE SEQUEL [5:19 Hippity hoppity-] [5:26 JIPPITY JOPPITY!?!] [5:32 Your house is now my property 🤑🤑🤑🤑😏😏] [5:37 Sick move] [5:41 BEETHOVEN] [5:42 FATE] [5:45 IS KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR!!] 5:54 Ya like Jazz? 7:12 Hamelin: Wait this aint right, my brain is not braining at this variation 8:00 What else... to put here...???? 8:41 Liszt, are you listening? [9:25 Just Hamelin things amirite] Les goooooo

[@calebhu6383]

7:19

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Godowsky didn't die. He just was reborn as Hamelin. lol

[@dreamsdreams9493]

Variation 2 (0:51) = Variation 21 - Rzewsky "The People United Will Never Be Defeated".

[@GUILLOM]

No

[@5riverboat]

Wonderfully virtuosic, my only comment is that the consistent use of dissonance and atonality after a while grows a bit repetitious. Most though are marvelously inspired, novel and brilliant. Who else could play these?

[@gamingmusicandjokesandabit1240]

Plot twist: 5:13 This variation has to be recorded off the radio. PS 5:25 The pianist: Hold my beer. (no offence),

[@OuaghlaniAlaa]

Craziness at 5:39

[@ColourfulPianist]

There is actually quite a lot of logic to the madness 😂👍

[@andrewbarrett1537]

Ah yes, this is definitely made of the same stuff as the well-known "Circus Galop". Thanks for posting!

[@dvoulga71]

GENIOUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Lacrimosaaaa]

Wow! Just wow! Left me speechless..

[@erwinschulhoff4464]

Kinda random but what piece have you been recently addicted to - you couldent stop listening over and over

[@dzordzszs]

​@@erwinschulhoff4464You're asking this everywhere lol

[@erwinschulhoff4464]

@@dzordzszs you got a piece?

[@dzordzszs]

@@erwinschulhoff4464 Not one but: Schnittke Concerto Grosso Norgard Symphony No. 3 (the other ones are great as well) Schumann Carnaval, Piano & Piano and Violin Sonatas Royer Harpsichord Stuff (forgot the names) Brahms Op 116-119 and PC 1 Schmitt Ombres But if I had to choose one, then Kreisleriana by Schumann

[@erwinschulhoff4464]

@@dzordzszs i like schnittkes concerto grosso too

[@tylertaylorcomposer]

Variation 10 👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾

[@Etrigan.]

Is there any midi you can bring please? I would like to practice with midi this piece.

[@uritibon17]

Genius!

[@Hitherto90]

I see Hamelin took a page out of Volodos's book with this piece.

[@youbelle3437]

Ultra geil👍

[@RobinLSL]

So fun!

[@skorza1148]

Var 11 is prime jumpscare material

[@keyofamajor]

What is variation 7 a reference to? It's a reference to something, and I think it's beethoven, but I don't know what.

[@MehdiGhazi]

Yes! Beethoven op.109 last mvt, 3rd variation.

[@klop4228]

Variation 7 is just... jarring. We're sitting, listening to some nice, jazzy tone clusters, and along comes some perfectly consonant minor-key stuff.Ok, I'm not that big a fan of the extended harmony of jazz/tone clusters, nor do I hate consonance (as if that were possible), but it's just jarring, and not in a way that sounds like it's done on purpose, like in Var 11

[@ridwancoding5646]

This is what happens when you put Schosatovitch, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Prokofiev, and Ligeti in the same room for 3 days.

[@kuru9157]

These harmonies are pretty interesting

[@icst4786]

3:53 Direct transposition of one of the variations in Beethoven's op. 109 mvmt 3

[@jimpreston3017]

The Maestro.

[@kabs1681]

Actually goated

[@stevenak115]

Beethoven's 5th came as a surprise to me

[@CarmenReyes-em9np]

Variaciones sobre temas de Paganini😮

[@kuangshen3220]

Salute to Aesop's Feast!

[@rosiefay7283]

Whose theme has a very similar harmonic progression.

[@andrewbarrett1537]

I find the theme completely obscured and not audible in the slow 6/8 part with the tone clusters. Can someone please explain to me where it is? I have a hunch that this particular section (and maybe the whole piece) is expressing Mr. Hamelin's disdain for what a warhorse Paganini's theme is. He even puts in a bar of montuno, a bar of ragtime, and several parts of Beethoven's 5th, all without apparent connection to the rest. Now if that isn't comedy, I don't know what is.

[@TheExarion]

+Andrew Barrett I think you're talking about the part that starts at 2:22? With the tempo marking, 'Alla barcarola'. You'll notice there's a star on this tempo mark and, sadly I didn't include this in the video, but at the bottom of the same page as this variation it says " *)but play as if the canal were rat-infested". Seriously. It says that. Now, the thing is, you also mention the bar of montuno, ragtime, etc. I don't know if this was the section you were actually talking about (it's at around 5:17). In this variation, in the sheet music it says 'All tempo and style changes should be as sudden and clean as digital edits. Take care in maintaining character up to the very last note each time. The effect should be a bit like flipping between radio stations." So there is some reason behind the madness that Hamelin exerts here. And it does seem very comedical. I'll paraphrase one analysis I saw on the original performance video (and keep in mind I'm no expert on either Paganini or Hamelin, so I don't know how accurate this statement is going to be). It went along the lines of 'It seems that Hamelin is trying to go for what Paganini did in his time: making music that reflected what he saw in his era.' And this would make sense, flipping through radio stations, a time where piano technique has become so advanced that we can make music out of dissonance, and more. Nevertheless, Hamelin's quite the mental patient to make such a dauntingly difficult piece.

[@MasterBelmont77]

+Andrew Barrett It's more than comedy, it's genius.

[@andrewbarrett1537]

Thanks, for clearing this up about Hamelin's intentions, I agree with you this is a genius piece!!!

[@AEPMUSlC]

+Andrew Barrett That 6/8-part is more about the themes chord progression rather than the melody itself. If you look at the left hand when he plays those low chords he seems to play basic chords and then obscuring the harmony completely in the higher register. However he plays Dm chords instead of E7 at the A-section. This becomes clearer in the B section of the theme (at 2:36). |A7 | % |Dm | % |G7 | % |C | % | dm b6(neapolitan) | E7(b5)| These last two chords he tries to deciece the listeners with a 9/8 bar making the cadence "abrupt". When he repeats the B-section (at 2.58) Hamelin doubles the chord progressions tempo and adds a little coda (3:12) that leads into the next variation.

[@7Volkan6]

I agree that his variations contain the element of parody, however I wouldn't go as far as calling them obscure or inaudible. The fifth variation (the one with tone clusters) is my favorite one, and definitely enjoyable. One who hardly listens to non-european (russian included) music, or contemporary music, will have difficulty appreciating such music and find them very alien and unenjoyable. try for example leo ornstein's more non-european or contemporary compositions or arabic music.

[@auron570]

lmao oh my lord Var1 sounds like someone repeatedly farting

[@mwong987]

Variation 11...holy crap that was funny

[@amgx9670]

why are so many of hamelin's pieces dissonant?

[@WEEBLLOM]

Why not

[@FromBeyond013]

whats up with all the 1/2 notes in chords. why tho...

[@TheExarion]

Lmao welcome to Hamelin, my friend.

[@xyzpno6847]

Could you send me the sheet music please?

[@TheExarion]

+PianoMyToy I actually don't have it, I'm sorry!

[@xyzpno6847]

Oh, ok, thank you anyway. I guess il just buy it than :D. Keep uploading, and good luck!

[@herobrine1847]

5:31 why did he play in F instead of F#

[@subplantant]

You're right he plays both those bars a semitone lower!

[@fabiopalma4429]

Remembers me a lot of Prokofiev

[@muliang_foto]

Piano God!

[@jospehas7850]

Wtf happened at the start of no 1 and 3

[@puccio1795]

bello

[@maggioremartellato5155]

Hamelin is genius

[@rodluc2001]

Brahms approves

[@TheMightyFork_]

Var 7 op 109

[@1reasler]

Smiles

[@RedZed1974]

I'll say it. What's with Hamelin re-arranging all these greats through a some off-the-tracks-Shostakovich filter? I can only listen to 1 or 2 before it becomes grating, truth be told. Impressive technique, though.

[@ChristianJiang]

Zed O'Haughy Oh, there are many styles :) You should listen to the rest!

[@ytyt3922]

Zed O'Haughy some of the filters are Khatchaturian :)

[@datruzepp]

var 11: liszt rigoletto and niobe

[@poo_daa]

牛逼！

[@universeforcecolumn]

Var. 18(X), Var. 13(O) . HAHAHA~

[@crystaldj12]

😂

[@PushkaryovVsevolod]

У первоисточника лучше было!

[@CarmenReyes-em9np]

🇮🇷🖐️

[@jason02951234]

to me, ju~st so so.... but interesting...?

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

Hasn't this all been done many times before? This guy obviously can't orchestrate.

[@ГеоргийМаслик]

Амлен блестящий, потрясающий пианист, но слабый и малоинтересный композитор.

[@OziCastle]

Who do you find interesting? And yes everyone is entitled to their own opinion but how is he a weak composer?

[@TedMason]

He is incredible but personally its a bit cold. Its not the complicated theory or rhythm of Jazz and it mocks classical but he is not trying to mock. I think its trying to hard to be modern. No doubt he is incredible but Oscar Peterson runs circles around him and is much more musical. But thats just my opinion

[@michelprezman51]

Cette quête de l'humour et du fracas devient affligeante.

[@Piflaser]

Listen Stephan Heller variations op. 130. Same idea, 100 times better.

[@GUILLOM]

No

[@Piflaser]

@@GUILLOM But yes, Heller makes music, Hamelin circus. 🎪 Very hard to play, but pure show.

[@GUILLOM]

@@Piflaser no

[@Piflaser]

Typical pianist music, hand breaking, not heart braking. 🤐

[@GUILLOM]

@@Piflaser no

[@ИльяМуромец-щ7р]

Нахера это сочинять было...

[@JWP452]

I don't think this is very "musical." Even the initial theme was obliterated.

[@GUILLOM]

I completely disagree

[@tunca9709]

Weird and redundant