Giannini: Variations on a Cantus Firmus

Powerfully expansive and meticulously detailed, Vittorio Giannini’s VARIATIONS ON A CANTUS FIRMUS is a major work of American piano literature whose architecture furthers the monumental ground bass forms of Bach and Brahms, with harmony and textures akin to Scriabin and Rachmaninoff. Ingeniously constructed, the 24 variations are grouped into four movements: Moderato, Aria, Toccata, and the intriguingly-titled final Interlude which continuously reimagine the theme in a variety of characters, moods, and colors.