Theme and Variations

In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these. In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these. Mozart's Twelve Variations on 'Ah vous dirai-je, Maman' (1785), known in the English-speaking world as 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' exemplifies a number of common variation techniques. Here are the first eight bars of the theme: