The Diabelli Codex: Ian Fountain, piano

  • Date
    Monday, 11 Jan 2027
  • Time
    19:30
  • Venue

    Whyte Recital Hall at RIAM

  • Price
    €12 - €15
  • Category
    Concert
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Described by the iconic German pianist Alfred Brendel as ‘the greatest of all piano works’, Beethoven’s colossal “Diabelli Variations” grew out of a publisher’s request for one single variation on a rather trivial tune. 

This exceptional set of variations, written between 1819 and 1823 on a waltz composed by Anton Diabelli, is at the very heart of a truly fascinating project, “The Diabelli Codex”. 

Pianist Ian Fountain and composer Kevin O’Connell lead piano and composition students in an immersive creative exploration of Beethoven’s extraordinary work with a series of performances, masterclasses, workshops, talks and first performances of new works all on the musical menu. The week-long immersive project begins with a rare performance of this monumental work by the distinguished pianist Ian Fountain whose own recording of the “Diabelli Variations” has been critically acclaimed.

Programme

Ludwig van Beethoven: 33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120