Exercises for Elise
11 Variations on Beethoven’s “Für Elise” for Children
Completion year
1995
Duration
8 min
Scored for
piano solo
Other titles
Vaje za Elizo / Übungen für Elise
About
Unlike classical ornamental or character variations, these eleven variations explore transformations of musical style. Each variation reimagines Beethoven’s theme through a different stylistic lens—drawing on distinct musical idioms, historical periods, or regional characteristics. The focus is therefore not on melodic decoration but on stylistic transformation, allowing the theme to appear in a variety of musical contexts while remaining recognizable.
Premiere
May 7, 1997. Kosovel Hall, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, performed by Martin Smerdel
Dedicated to
Martin Smerdel
Publishers
Ed.DSS 1557