Description
This is an unusual piece in that virtuoso pianist Horowitz wrote this set of variations but kept the score to himself. He performed it on concert tours, of course, showed it to a few acquaintances, and made a piano roll of it, but he apparently had no desire to see it published. Pianist Arcadi Volodos made a version of it (with some changes) by listening to Horowitz's recordings of the work. Musicologist Stephen Husarik also made an edition of the score from the piano roll. Horowitz uses the Act II Gypsy song from Carmen as a springboard for his variations. The music is extremely challenging to the pianist, sounding like a mixture of Liszt, Balakirev (à la Islamey), and Ravel. The colorful theme is heard at the out... read more
