Artists:
Marcin Zdunik - cello
Aleksander Dębicz – piano

Programme:
Improvisations in the style of Beethoven's youthful compositions
L. van Beethoven - Wariacje Es-dur na temat z opery „Czarodziejski flet” W.A. Mozarta
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Duo improvisations themes from piano, cello and violin Beethoven's sonnets

Out of the three collections of variations for cello and piano composed by Beethoven, two were written on operatic themes from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. They were created with the salon in mind and are intended for amateur performances. The cycle of seven non-opus Variations in E-flat major for cello and piano on the theme Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen (In men who feel love) was written in 1801, but its genesis is not known. We only know that it was a gift for the Count Johann Georg von Browne – Beethoven’s patron. The theme of the variation comes from the operatic duet of Pamina and Papagen (from Act I). In the discussed variations, the piano part symbolises Pamina and the cello part – her admirer. The theme of the variation allows to spin a dialogue between the instruments. The middle variation is in contrast with the others because of its minor mode (E-flat minor) and the most cantilena-like, penultimate variation precedes an energetic finale. About Mozart’s opera, Beethoven wrote: “The Magic Flute will remain Mozart’s greatest work … for used in it are all the music genres, from the ode, to the chorale, to the fugues”. Mozart’s work was also appreciated by another opera reformer, a very jealous one – Richard Wagner: “The quintessence of all the most noble flowers of art seems to be here united and melted into one wonderful bouquet. How spontaneous and, at the same time, how noble is the popularity of each melody, from the simplest to the mightiest one. Creating (The Magic Flute – A.D.) the genius of Mozart made too big a step: writing the German opera, he gave the world a masterly work, completely perfect, impossible to surpass.”

Aneta Derkowska, PhD

The event will take place as part of the Viva Beethoven! - the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth project.

We invite you to an online concert,
which will be broadcast on December 15 at 7 pm on our Youtube channel.
The concert will be available on our channel until end of June, 2021.