This playlist traces the development of variation form, from its origins in the 16th century to the height of the Baroque. The earliest published example of music in a variation form comes from Spain: Luis Narváez's wrote his Diferencias for vihuela in 1538. Next on the list, we explore the division - a form of variation common in Renaissance viol music, in which the rhythmic beat is successively divided into smaller and smaller values. We then visit William Byrd and his variations for keyboard and John Dowland's stunning Lachrymae Pavans. Two masterpieces of the chaconne form by Monteverdi and Purcell feature next before finally arriving at J.S Bach's compositional masterpiece - and arguably one of the best variation sets ever written - his Goldberg Variations, published in 1741.

Listen below or on our Spotify playlist - 'The Art of Variation.'

Luis Narváez: Seis diferencias del igno de Nuestra Señora

Xavier Diaz-Latorre

William Young: Divisions on a Ground in G Minor

Simone Eckert, Hamberg Ratsmusik Ensemble

John Jenkins: Divisions on a Ground in D Major

Robert Smith, Paolo Pandolfo

Christopher Simpson: Divisions for Two Viols in F Major

Robert Smith, Paolo Pandolfo

William Byrd: Wolsey's Wilde

Sophie Yates

John Dowland: Lachrimae Antiquae from Lachrymae, or Seaven Teares

Fretwork, Christopher Wilson

John Dowland: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae from Lachrymae, or Seaven Teares

Fretwork

John Dowland: Lachrimae Gementes from Lachrymae, or Seaven Teares

Fretwork

John Dowland: Lachrimae Tristes from Lachrymae, or Seaven Teares

Fretwork

John Dowland: Lachrimae Coactae from Lachrymae, or Seaven Teares

Fretwork

John Dowland: Lachrimae Amantis from Lachrymae, or Seaven Teares

Fretwork

John Dowland: Lachrimae Verae from Lachrymae, or Seaven Teares

Fretwork

Claudio Monteverdi: Zefiro Torna, e di soavi accenti, SV 251

William Christie, Les Arts Florissants

Henry Purcell: Chaconne "Two in One upon a Ground" from Dioclesian

Elizabeth Kenny, Mark Caudle, Peter Holman, Susanna Pell, Susane Heinrich

J.S Bach: Goldberg Variations Reimagined, BWV 988 (Arr. for Solo Violin and Ensemble by Chad Kelly): Aria

Rachel Podger, Chad Kelly, Brecon Baroque

J.S Bach: Goldberg Variations Reimagined, BWV 988 (Arr. for Solo Violin and Ensemble by Chad Kelly): Variation 1

Rachel Podger, Chad Kelly, Brecon Baroque

J.S Bach: Goldberg Variations Reimagined, BWV 988 (Arr. for Solo Violin and Ensemble by Chad Kelly): Variations 2 - 5

Rachel Podger, Chad Kelly, Brecon Baroque

J.S Bach: Goldberg Variations Reimagined, BWV 988 (Arr. for Solo Violin and Ensemble by Chad Kelly): Variations 6 - 8

Rachel Podger, Chad Kelly, Brecon Baroque

J.S Bach: Goldberg Variations Reimagined, BWV 988 (Arr. for Solo Violin and Ensemble by Chad Kelly): Variations 9 - 10

Rachel Podger, Chad Kelly, Brecon Baroque