Nine Variations on a Minuet by Duport

A minuet beneath the variations

The minuet behind the nine Duport variations K. 573 offers a useful point of reference when the surface becomes busier. The critical commentary records differences between its principal sources in dotted rhythms and grace-note patterns. Those details affect the feeling of a gesture, so comparing editions or recordings should begin with the actual notation rather than an assumption that every version is identical.

At the keyboard

Establish the theme’s dance pulse before practising a variation in small sections. Keep an ear on the beginning and ending of each phrase, even when your attention is drawn to an ornament. Try the rhythm of a decorated passage on a single repeated note, then restore its pitches. This separates coordination from the question of how the phrase moves.

Music in this edition

1. Nine Variations on a Minuet by Duport