Anton von Weber: Variationen For Piano Op. 27

It may come as a surprise to learn that Anton Webern’s delicate, refined and intimate music can be transferred to the organ. Xavier Darasse (1934-1992), a pupil of Duruflé and Messiaen, has produced an organ adaptation of the famous three-movement Piano Variations, op. 27 (1936), a groundbreaking composition in serial music. His arrangement is accompanied by judicious registration marks and division of the manuals. The result is fully convincing, making this late work with its chamber-like atmosphere attractive to organists.

Darasse’s adaptation is now presented to the public for the first time. His pupil Bernhard Haas, an organ professor in Munich, has prefixed his teacher’s manuscript with a foreword containing important suggestions regarding the work’s performance.