ABSTRACT

Szymanowski’s contribution to the theme and variations genre comprises six works: the Variations in B flat minor for piano, Op. 3; the Variations on a Polish folk theme in B minor for piano, Op. 10; the second movement of the Second Symphony in B flat major, Op. 19; the second movement of the Second Piano Sonata in A major, Op. 21; the second movement of the First String Quartet in C major, Op. 37; and the third of the Three Paganini Caprices, Op. 40, subtitled ‘Thème varié’. The composer’s initial forays in the genre follow closely on the prescriptions of his composition teacher, Zygmunt Noskowski, 1 while his later works show an increasing freedom from this influence. Comparison of the second movement of the First String Quartet, Op. 37 with its predecessors is particularly telling in this respect. The Paganini Caprices, on the other hand, belong to an entirely different compositional programme.