Variations Serieuses Op 54 : Mendelssohn: Mark Gasser (live)

The Variations sérieuses op. 54 is a set of variations, many of them requiring a virtuoso technique, on a theme in D minor by Felix Mendelssohn. It was completed on the 4th of June 1841.[1] Mendelssohn is known to have written 3 sets of piano variations, but only this one was published during his lifetime.[2] This twelve-minute work was published in 1842. Mendelssohn's good friend, the composer/pianist Ignaz Moscheles stated "I play the Variations sérieuses again and again, each time I enjoy the beauty again." Ferruccio Busoni also liked the work very much. Many pianists have recorded it, including Vladimir Horowitz, Sviatoslav Richter, and Vladimir Sofronitzky.