Stradivariazioni by Martin Riseley & Diedre Irons

The "variation" is at the foundation of many forms of music. It is an integral component of musical expression, from the cantus firmus of the 13th century to the ground bass of the passacaglia to jazz and blues. It was particularly important during the classical period, when ‘Theme and Variations’ was a form of its own. For Stradivariazioni, Martin and Diedre selected a programme that demonstrates various elements of the form: the unifying theme of Schubert’s brilliant Fantasy, tension and release in the last movement of Beethoven’s final violin sonata, the technical possibilities in Ravel’s Tzigane, and a set of variations by Stephan Prock in which each variation captures the composer's idea of a different violin by Stradivari, and its unique character.