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120, commonly known as the Diabelli Variations, is a set of variations for the piano written between 1819 and 1823 by Ludwig van Beethoven on a waltz composed by Anton Diabelli. It is often considered to be one of the greatest sets of variations for keyboard along with J. S. Bach's Goldberg Variations.
How many Diabelli Variations are there?
Since its publication in July 1823, the 33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli Op. 120 has been universally regarded, along with the Goldberg Variations of Bach, to be the summit of the variation form and by many, including Alfred Brendel, to be "the greatest of all piano works."
Did Beethoven write any waltzes?
There is no evidence that Beethoven wrote the piece; he composed few waltzes, and it is not in the style of any of Beethoven's other compositions. The piece was first published in 1852 (25 years after Beethoven's death) by Fritz Schuberth in Leipzig, Germany.
