On Sept. 12, Loyola will welcome pianist William Kinderman to offer commentary and perform Beethoven’s “33 Variations,” a musical work based on a waltz done by Anton Diabelli.

This piece is considered to be one of the greatest variations on the keyboard.

Kinderman, professor of musicology at the University of Illinois, is a highly recognized pianist and author of four books on Beethoven. He began performing the Diabelli variations, Beethoven’s longest piano works, in the 1980s.

Some Loyola students are fans of “33 Variations.”

Jazz studies junior Sam Kuslan has been playing piano since he was four years old, and he said he learned Beethoven at a young age.

“’33 Variations’ was actually a group of pieces that I learned when I was a kid studying classical piano,” Kuslan said.

Kuslan said that Beethoven’s “33 Variations” taught him about chordal harmony that has helped him thought out his jazz career.

“Beethoven has a wonderful way with melody and harmony,” Kuslan said.

“33 Variations” is not just a piano piece; it’s also a play. According to a blog post from Kinderman, he and Moisés Kaufman, a New York playwright, created the play “33 Variations,” which focused on Beethoven’s intense obsession with Anton Diabelli’s waltz.

The play will be performed locally from Sept. 11-29 at the Southern Rep Contemporary Arts Center’s Freeport-McMoRan Theater, coinciding with Kinderman’s performance of “33 Variations” at Loyola.

Raquel Derganz Baker can be reached at [email protected]