Joel Hill asks:

>...  My initial idea is to commission someone to arrange the Brahms
>Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56 a and b as a Piano Concerto.  ...
>
>Getting to my question, how would the repeats be best handled? Would it
>be blasphemy to arrange the repeats differently? Could the soloist carry
>the melody the first time and let the orchestra have in the repeat?

I like both versions of the Brahms Haydn variations, and this is an
interesting idea you propose.  I'm not sure if it could be called a
Piano Concerto in its generally accepted meaning, but form is there
to be continually reinvented so why not.

My own inclination would be to introduce variation within the repeats,
without changing the character of the variation, so that you had some
forward development within the piece as a whole.  It would be a difficult
one to pull off, but I can't help looking towards either the finale of
Brahms 4th, the Rachmaninov Paginini variations or Britten's Young Person's
Guide for some ideas as to how this might be done, while of course keeping
the original character of the work.

Let me know when the lottery money comes through.

Jim Paterson
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