I always find myself purchasing automatically the CDs that contains
this formidable set of variations, in the tradition of Beethoven's 32
Variations, Mendelssohn's Variations Serieuses, Liszt's Weinen Kragen
Sorgen Zagen variations, and Franck's Prelude, Choral et Fugues.

What I would like to add (perhaps it might be a well-known fact) is that
the fugue part sounds really similar to Ignaz Moscheles's final etude of
Op.70 (prelude and fugue).

My ever-favorite recording is also Julius Katchen on Decca, but I like
Claudio Arrau's performance on Philips (1977) very much, too.

He does not sound as crisp as Katchen.  But, his perspective on this
majestic score is well-integrated, and his beautiful tones sound so
convincive as in his Brahms concertos' performances.

I think Pascal Roge's performance on Decca (1993) is something valuable,
as he is one of the students of Julius Katchen.

Hitoshi ASAOKA <[log in to unmask]>