32 Variations in C Minor, WoO 80

Among the Variations on an Original Theme, WoO 80 from 1806 constitutes a special case in that Beethoven consciously draws on older practices. A chromatically descending bass line in the theme provides the foundation for the variations, its ostinato-like repetition lending the composition the air of a passacaglia. The revised musical text of the Henle Urtext edition, with an extensive preface and commentary section, was prepared on the basis of the Critical Report in the Beethoven Complete Edition and is published as a stand-alone edition from “Variations for Piano II” (HN 1269). Ian Fountain provided the fingerings.