Beethoven, an elderly composer, proved remarkably productive despite his complete deafness at almost fifty. While speculation circulated that he had ceased composing, he devoted himself to monumental works such as the Diabelli Variations, the Missa Solemnis, and the Ninth Symphony. Beethoven even interrupted his work on the Missa Solemnis in 1819 to dedicate himself to the Diabelli Variations.
The Diabelli Variations originated from a charitable project by the Viennese music publisher Anton Diabelli, who in 1819 sent a short waltz of his own composition to 50 composers living in Austria. Each was to contribute a single variation, which would then be published as the anthology "Vaterländischer Künstlerverein" (Patriotic Artists' Association). The proceeds were intended for widows and orphans of the Napoleonic Wars.
The Diabelli Variations originated from a charitable project of the Viennese music publisher Anton Diabelli, who in 1819 sent a short waltz of his own composition to 50 composers living in Austria. Initially, Beethoven was annoyed at being included in such a collaborative project and disparagingly referred to Diabelli's theme as a "cobbler's patch" beneath his musical dignity. However, he then changed his mind and decided not only to contribute a single variation but to compose a complete cycle of variations.
By the summer of 1819, Beethoven had already completed 23 variations, but then set the work aside for almost four years. During this time, he finished the Missa Solemnis and composed his last three piano sonatas. He returned to the variations in February 1823 and completed the cycle in March or April of that year.
The first variation of the Diabelli Variations breaks sharply with the waltz-like character of the theme. It presents itself as a powerful, strongly accented march in 4/4 time, whereas the original is in 3/4 time. This clear departure from Diabelli's original indicates that these will not be mere decorative variations. Musicologists interpret this first variation differently – some see it as a celebratory, grand style, others as a parody of the theme's weaknesses.