Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
Both Sergei Rachmaninoff and Niccolò Paganini were virtuosos of their eras. There the similarities seem to end.
Tag: Variations
Johannes Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a
Brahms added the heft of a full orchestra to the variation form, and then had the nerve to make that the whole piece. What is remarkable is how the ebb and flow of each variation changes, creating different organic shapes within a strict outline.