Milko Kelemen wrote Theme with variations, for piano in
1948. This youthful work is a typical example of his first
compositional period, when he followed the musical
traditions of Classicism and Romanticism and used a
more traditional approach to shape the musical content.
Kelemen’s approach to creating a formally and dramatically
coherent piece was to treat variations in a similar manner
to that of Classicism and shape them by transforming all
elements of the theme – melody, rhythm, and harmony.
The variations here almost narratively follow dramatic
events, changes in rhythm and tempo, accelerandos and
rallentandos, until finally returning to the impressive initial
theme. The composition was first performed by the pianist
Darko Lukić on May 4, 1949 at the Croatian Music Institute
in Zagreb, which was also the first to publish it.
Bojana Plećaš Kalebota
HDS, Cantus, 2024.
Broj izdanja: Can. 359-3329
ISMN 979-0-801363-32-9
