Early spring in Żelazowa Wola | Wczesna wiosna w Żelazowej Woli

Fryderyk Chopin 1810-1849 Variation in E major from ‘Hexameron’ on the march from Bellini’s opera ‘I puritani’, Dbop. 29A Wariacja E-dur z „Hexameronu” na temat marsza z opery „Purytanie” Belliniego Dbop. 29A Tatiana Shebanova Erard 1849 When the Sicilian composer Vincenzo Bellini died, in the autumn of 1835, a group of composer-friends decided to pay him posthumous tribute, writing variations on the march from his last opera, ’I puritani’. The idea for such a work came from Princess Cristina Belgiojoso, whilst the chief executor was Ferenc Liszt. The result was a cycle of virtuosic piano variations entitled ’Hexameron’. The name referred to the sextet of composers, each of whom composed one of the variations. Besides Liszt, the contributors were Thalberg, Pixis, Herz, Czerny and Chopin. The variation that Chopin added, as his voice in the tribute to his friend’s memory, was the sixth in order. What precedes it in ’Hexameron’ and what comes after it (as the Fi