© 2018 Anne Marie Kuhny A COMPARISON OF TWO SETS OF VARIATIONS ON CHOPIN’S PRELUDE OP. 28, NO. 20 IN C MINOR: FERRUCCIO BUSONI’S TEN VARIATIONS ON A THEME BY CHOPIN, BV 213a AND SERGEI RACHMANINOFF’S VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF CHOPIN, OP. 22 BY ANNE MARIE KUHNY DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Music with a concentration in Performance and Literature in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2018 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor Gayle Magee, Chair and Director of Research Professor Emeritus Ian Hobson Professor Christos Tsitsaros Associate Professor Dana Robinson ABSTRACT This dissertation explores and compares two sets of variations that use Frédéric Chopin’s Prelude, op. 28, no. 20 as a theme: Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme by Chopin, op. 22 (1902-1903) and Ferruccio Busoni’s Ten Variations on a Prelude by Chopin, BV 213a (1922). The first primary goal of this paper is to provide a comparative overview of the two variation sets through their different approaches to the use of the same musical theme, including historical, compositional, and performance considerations as well as recording history. While it is impossible to prove theories about a society’s musical tastes, this study will provide a better understanding of culture and history surrounding these works. Through an examination of each composer’s approach to variation form and their development of Chopin’s Prelude, op. 28, no. 20, combined with a catalog of recordings of each work, the secondary goal is to be able to increase the understanding of the reception of both composers’ use of the same work as a theme. This information will allow for greater inferences to be made about the development of musical tastes and history in recent years. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I devote this dissertation to those who have helped me make it to my final course of studies, both academically and personally. I foremost mention my committee, especially my professor, Dr. Ian Hobson, and my advisor and committee chair, Dr. Gayle Magee. In addition, I greatly appreciate the knowledge and advice provided by my additional committee members, Dr. Christos Tsitsaros and Dr. Dana Robinson. I also appreciate all that my family, particularly my parents and brother, have given and done to make this achievement possible for me. Without them, I would never be where I am today. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 Overview .................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 Literature Review .................................................................................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 1: SERGEI RACHMANINOFF’S VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF CHOPIN, OP. 22 ................ 14 History of Rachmaninoff ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Rachmaninoff’s Variation Sets ............................................................................................................................ 20 Analysis of Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Chopin, op. 22 .............................................................. 23 Interview with Dr. Ian Hobson: Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Chopin, op. 22 ........................... 78 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................................. 81 CHAPTER 2: FERRUCCIO BUSONI’S TEN VARIATIONS ON A PRELUDE BY CHOPIN, BV 213A ......... 84 History of Busoni ................................................................................................................................................... 84 Busoni as Composer and Author ......................................................................................................................... 95 Busoni’s Two Sets of Variations on a Prelude by Chopin ................................................................................. 98 Analysis of Busoni’s Ten Variations on a Prelude by Chopin, BV 213a ........................................................ 100 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................ 130 CHAPTER 3: COMPARISON OF RACHMANINOFF’S VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF CHOPIN, OP. 22 AND BUSONI’S TEN VARIATIONS ON A PRELUDE BY CHOPIN, BV 213A AND THEIR RECORDING HISTORIES ............................................................................................................................................................. 132 Comparison of Compositions ............................................................................................................................. 132 Comparison of Recording Histories .................................................................................................................. 136 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................................ 146 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................................................... 150 APPENDIX A: RECORDING DATA ................................................................................................................... 158 iv INTRODUCTION Overview This project studies and compares two sets of variations that use Frédéric Chopin’s Prelude, op. 28, no. 20 as a theme: Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Chopin, op. 22 and Ferruccio Busoni’s Ten Variations on a Prelude by Chopin, BV 213a. This study will provide a better picture of Rachmaninoff and Busoni through their different approaches to the use of the same musical theme, including historical, compositional, and performance considerations as well as recording history. This study investigates several elements of each of the two sets of variations, including their compositional and public histories, through reviews and recordings and an interview with a performer. In particular, the role of this Chopin work in the lives of Busoni and Rachmaninoff as well as the recording and reception histories of their works will be examined. This study also analyzes and compares the structure and compositional features of both sets of variations, including an analysis of how Busoni and Rachmaninoff utilize texture and variation techniques in their variations on Chopin’s Prelude op. 28, no. 20. Finally, the dissertation compares the two works, particularly their commercial recording success. By examining these works, the dissertation will consider two contrasting compositions on the same theme, which have remarkably different profiles. Busoni’s set of variations is unknown to many pianists and has not had more than one scholarly study dedicated to it. Dr. Yoon’s Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation includes only a minimal analysis of each variation, with the dissertation’s main focus being on differences in form between the 1884 and 1922 editions. 1 There is no mention of performance trends or reception history.1 The Rachmaninoff, on the other hand, has been the focus of study in Dr. Ysac’s Doctor of Education dissertation2 which compares Rachmaninoff’s Chopin Variations to his Corelli Variations; Busoni’s variations are not a topic of the dissertation. Considering this dearth of information, this research will help to increase knowledge and familiarity with these works both individually and in relation to one another. Both Busoni and Rachmaninoff have made significant contributions to the standard repertoire throughout their lifetimes, and the skills needed to play their piano works require a level of training not often seen. Neither Rachmaninoff’s nor Busoni’s variations are well-known today, at least compared to their other more famous and frequently performed works such as Rachmaninoff’s twenty-four Piano Preludes, four Piano Concerti, and Busoni’s Piano Preludes and his transcriptions of works such as Bach’s Chaconne in D minor. Studying these sets of variations and how the composers chose to adapt and embellish a theme provides not just a comparative history of the works but also provides information about their recording and reception history, which is key to understanding both the works and composers. This examination is vital for better understanding why these works are not performed more often and explaining why they should be more frequently approached by listeners, performers, and musicologists alike. Part of why I am drawn to this topic is due to my undergraduate music history thesis in which I investigated the performance history of the Debussy Piano Preludes in the United States 1 Soomee Yoon, “Addition, Omission and Revision: The Stylistic Changes Made to Zehn Variationen über Ein Präludium von Chopin by Ferruccio Busoni” (University of North Texas, 1994), http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278472/.