The Symphonic Variations (Variations symphoniques), M. 46, is a work for piano and orchestra, written in 1885 by César Franck. It has been described as "one of Franck's tightest and most finished works",[1] "a superb blending of piano and orchestra",[2] and "a flawless work and as near perfection as a human composer can hope to get in a work of this nature".[3] It is a fine example of Franck's use of cyclic unity, with one theme growing into various others.[4] The piano and orchestra share equally in the continuous evolution of ideas.[3] It takes about 15 minutes to play.
The work was dedicated to Louis Diémer, who had premiered Franck's Les Djinns on 15 March 1885; the symphonic poem for piano and orchestra had brought Franck one of the rare critical successes of his career. He promised to reward Diémer with "a little something", and the similarly-scored Symphonic Variations were the result, later that year.[5] Franck started work in the summer, and completed the piece on 12 December 1885. The Variations are scored for pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, four horns, trumpets, timpani, strings and solo piano.[6]
The premiere of the work, on 1 May 1886, at the annual orchestral concert of the Société Nationale de Musique, went almost unnoticed. The soloist was Diémer, and the composer conducted.[7] Its second performance was not until 30 January 1887, at an all-Franck concert under the conductor Jules Pasdeloup, with Diémer again as soloist. It still failed to impress.[5] Before and after Franck's death, however, his works were championed by his pupils Vincent d'Indy, Henri Duparc, Paul Dukas, Ernest Chausson and others, and the Symphonic Variations soon entered the repertoire of major pianists. It was mainly through the Symphony in D minor and the Symphonic Variations that Franck became posthumously famous.[2] The work is now regularly performed, has become one of Franck's best known works, and has been recorded many times. It was later arranged for two pianos, four hands.[8]
While there is no doubt that it demonstrates Franck's mastery of variation form, the overall structure of the Symphonic Variations has been a matter of debate. Donald Tovey called it "a finely and freely-organised fantasy, with an important episode in variation form".[2] It consists of three broad sections, played without a break: introduction; theme and variations; and finale. These sections resemble the fast-slow-fast layout of a three-movement concerto. The main theme is announced by the piano, at the end of the introduction. Then the variations follow, and the work ends with a brilliant finale in F-sharp major (the home key of the overall work is F-sharp minor). The number of variations is also debated[3] – the count ranges from six[4][6] to fifteen.[9] The finale is a mini-movement in itself, complete with first and second themes, development and recapitulation. The themes in all three sections of the work are variations on the melody announced by the piano at the start of the piece, but the variations proper occupy only the central third of the work.[4]
The theme of the introduction has reminded many commentators of the theme of the slow movement of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G.[9]
In 1946, Frederick Ashton choreographed a ballet (Symphonic Variations) to the music.
Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fantasia (quasi variazione) on the Old 104th Psalm Tune for piano, chorus, and orchestra (1949) has some similarities to Franck's work, but it lacks Franck's adherence to classical variation form.[10]