Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33

Tchaikovsky wrote this piece immediately after the passionate symphonic fantasia Francesca da Rimini, and the contrast could hardly be sharper: the theme here is elegant, symmetrical, and deliberately Mozartian, though Tchaikovsky invented it himself rather than borrowing from the 18th century. The work exists in two versions: the one usually performed is a rearrangement by the cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, who reordered the variations and dropped one entirely, adapting the piece to showcase his own virtuosity. Tchaikovsky reportedly responded to the alterations with resignation, and Fitzenhagen's edition became the standard for decades before the composer's original sequence was reconstructed and published in the 1950s.

What to listen for

In the sixth variation, the solo cello drops to a low sustained note and the orchestra briefly takes over the main theme before the cello re-enters with a cadenza, a clear structural handoff that shows how Tchaikovsky keeps the soloist and the small orchestra in genuine dialogue rather than simple accompaniment. The orchestra here is lean by Romantic standards, scored for winds, horns, and strings without any brass or timpani, so each woodwind line is clearly audible against the cello. Notice also how one variation ends with a long trill that flows directly into the next, creating forward momentum across what might otherwise feel like a series of disconnected episodes.

Recommended rendition

Mstislav Rostropovich with the Berlin Philharmoniker under Herbert von Karajan (Deutsche Grammophon, 1968) has been frequently cited by BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone as a benchmark account, with Rostropovich's partnership with Karajan often described as inspired.

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