by Phyllis Simons
Even those people who deny that Brahms deserves to be placed alongside Beethoven as a symphonist all agree that he was unsurpassed as a miniaturist ; as a composer of songs and short piano pieces. The two pieces to be heard this morning will give listeners a good idea of Brahms's great genius in this direction. The dainty, light, and fanciful Capriccio in B minor is a particularly attractive example.
Beethoven's Thirty-two Variations were written in 1806 and therefore represent the composer in full command of his creative gifts. The key scheme of these Variations is interesting: Variations 1-12 are in C minor, 13-17 in C major, and 18-32 in C minor. F. Bonavia, in an article on this work in the RADIO
TIMES, points out that Beethoven ' in the Thirty-two Variations recalls Bach on account of the material and spiritual unity of a work that resembles a chaconne in every particular. There is no change of rhythm and the only change in tonality is given by the passage from minor into major '.