Cocktail Party Fact: I added the brackets in the title. Brahms got it wrong. The theme isn’t really by Haydn, though it’s a great tune all the same (it even has its own name: the “St. Anthony Choral”).

Commitment Factor: About 20 minutes

Vital Statistics: Romantic Period (1873). A theme (in two parts, both repeated thus: AABB), eight variations, and a Passacaglia coda leading to a whirlwind finish (if you want to know what a Passacaglia is, check out my note to Brahms’ Symphony No. 4). The work exists in two versions, one for orchestra, and one for piano duo.

What to Listen For: In any theme and variations, the first rule is KNOW THE THEME. Listen to the tune a few times, not just for the melody, but its shape and flow. The second half of this theme (the “B” section) begins with a rising sequence, for example. So if Brahms writes a variation with a different melody but a similar harmonic structure, you will still note a rising sequence of harmonies, even if the tune is different. Brahms was a master at writing variations of all sorts, and when he wants you to hear the tune (or a piece of it) you will. If you can’t, then you’re not supposed to. Listen to each variation for its own sake.