Using the same instrumentation as the Opus 87 trio, Beethoven’s WoO 28 is a set of eight variations and a coda on the aria “Là ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, one of several homages to the late great composer who Beethoven met only briefly when he was a teenager.
In “Là ci darem la mano,” the lecherous Don tries to persuade the peasant girl Zerlina (who he has just met) that they should go to his castle. There they will give each other their hands, and she can say “Yes” to him. Zerlina is hesitant. She is, after all, about to be married.
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Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” for Two Oboes and English Horn (WoO 28), 1795?
These students from Montclair State give a lively performance of these eight variations and coda on two oboes and English horn.
#Beethoven250 Day 50
Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” for Two Oboes and English Horn (WoO 28), 1795?
Like the Opus 87, these variations are frequently transcribed. Here they are played on flutes, with the longer alto flute taking the English horn part.