到了維也納後,貝多芬又寫了幾部變奏曲,大都是以當時流行的歌劇和歌唱劇裡面的曲調為主題,例如格雷蒂的獅心王理查和薩列里的法斯塔夫裡面的曲調都被貝多芬拓展過。它們可能是貝多芬受人委託而創作的。其中的WoO.70顯示了貝多芬的創作速度可以有多快:一位非常受貝多芬崇拜的女士對貝多芬說,自己曾有過一套以「Nel cor più non mi sento」為主題的變奏曲,可惜遺失了。貝多芬立刻為她創作了自己的變奏曲並趕在第二天早上給她送了過去。
而到了18世紀末,貝多芬開始使用原創主題寫變奏曲。第一個作品是以他自己為布倫絲維克姊妹所寫的歌曲「我想你」(Ich denke dein WoO.74)為主題的變奏曲。而到了1802年,他寫出了兩部很重要的變奏曲:F大調六首變奏曲Op.34和降E大調15首變奏曲和賦格 Op.35(即《英雄主題變奏曲》)。貝多芬自己也認為它們很重要,所以給了它們兩個Op號,這也是他的大變奏曲中第一次。兩部作品使用到新的手法,而且兩者本身就已存在很大的差別。在Op.34中他為每首變奏用上一個調,情緒隨之而改變,一時田園牧歌,一時則是葬禮哀歌。這種手法後來在李斯特處得到很大發展。但人們不得不感嘆,貝多芬早在1802年就已經非常系統地使用該手法了。Op.35比Op.34在一些方面顯得更新穎。主題是《普羅米修斯的生民》中的曲調。
安東•迪亞貝利,他先是一位鋼琴教師,後投身出版業。 接著貝多芬再寫了兩首以英國曲調「God save the king」和「Rule Britannia」為主題的變奏曲。接著他的創作重點便轉入大型作品(如交響曲)中。他自1803年打後只創作了3部變奏曲,分別是1806年的WoO.80,D大調6首變奏曲Op.76和貝多芬一生的鋼琴總結—《迪亞貝利變奏曲》。而在完成Op.76後貝多芬有超過10年沒再寫變奏曲。這時,一位出版商安東•迪亞貝利(Anton Diabelli)突發奇想,要為當時雲集維也納的眾多音樂家來一張精神快照。於是他先給維也納不下50位作曲家送去一首自己寫下的圓舞曲,請他們為之寫出大變奏曲集。而貝多芬就是其中一位。他為這圓舞曲主題創作了33首變奏曲集。雖然當時的維也納不乏名家高手,但是貝多芬無疑在這一次勝出,他寫出的版本無疑是最出眾的。除了倒數第二首降E大調變奏外,其餘變奏皆是c小調或C大調。每首變奏速度不一,而且前後色彩也不一樣。這些變奏遠超其從中衍生的單調主題,顯得千變萬化[79]。作品由迪亞貝利1824年在《祖國藝術家聯合會》標題下出版,作為其第一部分。而第二部分則是其他作曲家的變奏曲,其中有舒伯特和當時年僅11歲的弗蘭茲•李斯特的作品 (取自維基百科)
01. John Ogdon / Variations (5) on -Rule Britannia,- for piano in D major, WoO 79- Thema- Tempo moderato - [0:00:52.45] 02. John Ogdon / Variations (5) on -Rule Britannia,- for piano in D major, WoO 79- Variation 1 - [0:01:12.55] 03. John Ogdon / Variations (5) on -Rule Britannia,- for piano in D major, WoO 79- Variation 2 - [0:01:01.07] 04. John Ogdon / Variations (5) on -Rule Britannia,- for piano in D major, WoO 79- Variation 3 - [0:00:35.13] 05. John Ogdon / Variations (5) on -Rule Britannia,- for piano in D major, WoO 79- Variation 4 - [0:00:43.72] 06. John Ogdon / Variations (5) on -Rule Britannia,- for piano in D major, WoO 79- Variation 5 - [0:01:41.23] 07. John Ogdon / Variations (8) on Grétry's -Une fièvre brûlante,- for piano in C major, WoO 72- Thema- Allegretto - [0:00:44.52] 08. John Ogdon / Variations (8) on Grétry's -Une fièvre brûlante,- for piano in C major, WoO 72- Variation 1 - [0:00:41.63] 09. John Ogdon / Variations (8) on Grétry's -Une fièvre brûlante,- for piano in C major, WoO 72- Variation 2 - [0:00:45.45] 10. John Ogdon / Variations (8) on Grétry's -Une fièvre brûlante,- for piano in C major, WoO 72- Variation 3 - [0:00:32.62] 11. John Ogdon / Variations (8) on Grétry's -Une fièvre brûlante,- for piano in C major, WoO 72- Variation 4 - [0:00:49.68] 12. John Ogdon / Variations (8) on Grétry's -Une fièvre brûlante,- for piano in C major, WoO 72- Variation 5 - [0:00:34.25] 13. John Ogdon / Variations (8) on Grétry's -Une fièvre brûlante,- for piano in C major, WoO 72- Variation 6 - [0:00:34.42] 14. John Ogdon / Variations (8) on Grétry's -Une fièvre brûlante,- for piano in C major, WoO 72- Variation 7 - [0:00:52.30] 15. John Ogdon / Variations (8) on Grétry's -Une fièvre brûlante,- for piano in C major, WoO 72- Variation 8- Allegro - Presto [0:01:46.73] 16. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Thema- Andante con moto - [0:00:44.22] 17. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 1 - [0:00:42.55] 18. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 2 - [0:00:59.30] 19. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 3 - [0:00:57.28] 20. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 4 - [0:00:46.42] 21. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 5 - [0:01:18.58] 22. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 6 - [0:00:54.35] 23. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 7 - [0:00:44.50] 24. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 8 - [0:01:56.20] 25. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 9 - [0:00:53.35] 26. John Ogdon / Variations (10) on Salieri's -La Stessa, le Stessissima,- for piano in B flat major, WoO 73- Variation 10- Allegretto (alla Austriaca) - Tempo 1 [0:03:29.65] 27. John Ogdon / Variations (7) on Winter's -Kind willst du,- for piano in F major, WoO 75- Thema- Allegretto - [0:00:55.37] 28. John Ogdon / Variations (7) on Winter's -Kind willst du,- for piano in F major, WoO 75- Variation 1 - [0:00:51.68] 29. John Ogdon / Variations (7) on Winter's -Kind willst du,- for piano in F major, WoO 75- Variation 2 - [0:00:58.02] 30. John Ogdon / Variations (7) on Winter's -Kind willst du,- for piano in F major, WoO 75- Variation 3 - [0:00:58.40] 31. John Ogdon / Variations (7) on Winter's -Kind willst du,- for piano in F major, WoO 75- Variation 4 - [0:01:11.23] 32. John Ogdon / Variations (7) on Winter's -Kind willst du,- for piano in F major, WoO 75- Variation 5 - [0:01:23.22] 33. John Ogdon / Variations (7) on Winter's -Kind willst du,- for piano in F major, WoO 75- Variation 6 - [0:01:53.50] 34. John Ogdon / Variations (7) on Winter's -Kind willst du,- for piano in F major, WoO 75- Variation 7- Allegro - Allegro molto [0:02:49.23] 35. John Ogdon / Variations (6) on an original theme for piano in G major, WoO 77- Thema- Andante, quasi allegretto - [0:01:10.15] 36. John Ogdon / Variations (6) on an original theme for piano in G major, WoO 77- Variation 1 - [0:01:03.67] 37. John Ogdon / Variations (6) on an original theme for piano in G major, WoO 77- Variation 2 - [0:00:51.30] 38. John Ogdon / Variations (6) on an original theme for piano in G major, WoO 77- Variation 3 - [0:00:51.40] 39. John Ogdon / Variations (6) on an original theme for piano in G major, WoO 77- Variation 4 - [0:01:24.18] 40. John Ogdon / Variations (6) on an original theme for piano in G major, WoO 77- Variation 5 - [0:00:51.07] 41. John Ogdon / Variations (6) on an original theme for piano in G major, WoO 77- Variation 6 [0:01:27.65] 42. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Thema- Allegretto - [0:00:18.13] 43. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 1, 2 & 3 - [0:00:32.00] 44. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 4 & 5 - [0:00:32.17] 45. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variation 6 - [0:00:11.33] 46. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 7 & 8 - [0:00:45.32] 47. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 9, 10 & 11 [0:00:57.25] 48. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variation 12 - [0:00:26.23] 49. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 13 & 14 - [0:00:37.67] 50. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 15, 16, 17 & 18 - [0:01:13.60] 51. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 19, 20, 21 & 22 - [0:00:52.58] 52. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 23, 24 & 25 [0:00:52.55] 53. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 26 & 27 [0:00:27.47] 54. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variation 28 - [0:00:16.60] 55. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 29 & 30 - [0:00:43.08] 56. Emil Gilels / Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80- Variations 31 & 32 [0:02:01.60] 57. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Thema- Allegretto - [0:00:39.37] 58. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 1 - [0:00:48.05] 59. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 2 - [0:00:46.03] 60. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 3 - [0:01:04.05] 61. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 4 - [0:00:46.15] 62. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 5 - [0:01:00.37] 63. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 6 - [0:00:36.08] 64. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 7 - [0:00:33.02] 65. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 8 - [0:00:39.03] 66. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 9 - [0:00:39.15] 67. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 10 - [0:00:34.60] 68. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 11 - [0:00:54.15] 69. Emil Gilels / Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's -Das Waldmädchen,- for piano in A major, WoO 71- Variation 12 [0:03:05.60] 70. Emil Gilels / Variations (6) on an original theme, for piano in D major, Op. 76- Thema- Allegro risoluto - [0:00:44.57] 71. Emil Gilels / Variations (6) on an original theme, for piano in D major, Op. 76- Variation 1 - [0:00:42.50] 72. Emil Gilels / Variations (6) on an original theme, for piano in D major, Op. 76- Variation 2 - [0:00:42.68] 73. Emil Gilels / Variations (6) on an original theme, for piano in D major, Op. 76- Variation 3 - [0:01:04.55] 74. Emil Gilels / Variations (6) on an original theme, for piano in D major, Op. 76- Variation 4 - [0:00:54.72] 75. Emil Gilels / Variations (6) on an original theme, for piano in D major, Op. 76- Variation 5 - [0:00:58.25] 76. Emil Gilels / Variations (6) on an original theme, for piano in D major, Op. 76- Variation 6- Presto - Tempo 1 [0:02:00.00]