Carl Czerny - Variations on a Theme by Haydn for piano and orchestra

Carl Czerny

(1791~1857/오스트리아)

 

 Variations on a Theme by Haydn for piano and orchestra

Carl Czerny wrote several pieces based on national anthems, folks songs and other well-known songs. Here, the 1797 hymn by Joseph Haydn, 'Gott erhalte den Kaiser' (God Protect our Emperor) is Czerny's subject. Later, it became known as 'Deutschland über Alles.'

The work is a perfect example of Czerny's art of orchestration, a technique he developed through copying the parts of Bach's fugues, Scarlatti's sonatas and works by Haydn, Mozart and of course, his teacher Beethoven. The animated finale is clearly influenced by Beethoven. This is hardly surprising, as Czerny was said to have committed all Beethoven's piano compositions to memory