Imaginary

Film and Stage

On the shadow side:

• The Bridge on the River Kwai, about an army colonel who lost sight of the prize.

Music: Composers, artists, and major works

Frederic Rzewski’s magnum opus for solo piano, 36 Variations on “The People United Will Never Be Defeated” (1975) (approx. 57-64’), could easily be placed under “Unity” or “Strength,” because its pervasive attitude, expressed, through the solo voice, conveys the idea of strength through unity. It could also be placed under democracy, or human rights. I have chosen this work to represent the virtue of remaining vigilant and focused on a cherished goal or ideal. The work is a set of variations on a simple, hummable theme. “Rzewski was a strong advocate for the Chilean people during the oppressed times of the 1960's. Rzewski wrote this piano collection as a revolutionary anthem in response to Allende coming into power in 1969. Though Rzewski was a prominent figure in the avant-garde movement, this composition allowed him to step outside of the complexities of modernism and write accessible music for a specific purpose.” “In the aftermath of the military coup that deposed Allende, the song became a call to action for the resistance in Chile, and soon spread around the world. It has been recorded, paraphrased, and sampled in many forms and languages, by artists ranging from jazz bassist Charlie Haden to Thievery Corporation and Big Sean in the U.S. alone; still current, it was sung in Cantonese by the protesters in Hong Kong . . .” “. . . the real power . . . is not the song, arresting ear-worm that it contains, but its logic. A listener knowing neither the song nor its context is faced with a classic series of variations on a theme, realized through an abstract classical construction.” Because the theme remains to prominent and so easily identifiable throughout the work, this composition best represents the virtue of keeping eyes on the prize. Top recorded performances are by Ursula Oppens in 1976, Yuji Takahashi in 1978, Frederic Rzewski in 1986, Frederic Rzewski in 1991, Ralph van Raat in 2008, Kai Schumacher in 2009 , Ole Kiilerich in 2012, Corey Hamm in 2014, Igor Levit in 2015, Stephen Drury in 2017, and Vadym Kholodenko in 2022.

In any work of theme and variations, the idée fixe is the core.

• Fauré, Theme and Variations, Op. 73
• Beach, Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet, Op. 80 (1916)
• Brahms, 10 Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann for Piano Four Hands, Op. 23 (1861)
• Brahms, 16 Variations on a Theme by Schumann, Op. 9 (1854)
• Brahms, 28 Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Op. 35 (1863)
• Britten, Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, for string orchestra, Op. 10 (1937)
• Dukas, Variations, Interlude and Finale on a theme by Rameau (1902)
• Moyse, Introduction, Theme and Variations, for flute and piano (1980)
• Nielsen, Prelude, Theme, And Variations, Op. 48 (1923)
• Rózsa, Theme and Variations
• Schubert, Introduction and Variations on Trockne Blumen, Op. posth. 160, D 802
• Shostakovich, Theme and Variations in B-flat Major, Op. 3 (1922)
• Stanford, Concert Variations Upon an English Theme "Down Among the Dead Men" for piano and orchestra in C Minor, Op. 71
• Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello & Orchestra, Op. 33 (1877) (arr. for flugelhorn)
• Walton, Variations on a Theme by Hindemith (1963)
• Paray, Theme et Variations, for piano
• Antoine Edouard Pratté, Theme and Variations on a Swedish Folk Tune
• Beethoven, 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C Minor, WoO 80 (1806)
• Mozart, Variations on “Come un agnello”, K. 460 (1784)

In three compositions, Max Reger added a twist, with a fugue (wandering).

• Variations and Fugue on a theme by Bach for Piano, Op. 81 (1904) (theme taken from 4th mvt. aria (duet) of Cantata Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein, BWV 128)
• Variations and Fugue On a Theme by Johann Adam Hiller, in E Major, Op. 100 (1907)
• Variations and Fugue on a theme by Telemann for Piano, Op. 134 (1914)

Other compositions:

• Hanson, Piano Concerto in G Major, Op. 36 (1948): a strong idée fixe (fixed idea) is prominent in this work.
• Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 9 in E-flat Major, Op. 117 (1964): the second violin establishes the basic idea, which remains prominent throughout each movement.

Variations on a theme is a characteristic feature of jazz, on prominent display in these albums:

• Clare Hammond, “Variations”
• Johnathan Blake, “Trion”

Music: songs and other short pieces

• Sung-bong Choi on Korea’s Got Talent, and in the competition final
• Rising Appalachia, Resilient

Poetry

And so we lift our gaze, not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.

[from Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb”]