Beethoven: The Darth Vader Variations
By Ralph Graves
Richard Grayson is a talented pianist and composer who’s just burst onto the Internet. The video below has been making the rounds through the classical stations in the public radio system.
As a composer and performer, Grayson’s equally at home with high and low culture, and has developed a fairly unique talent — in his concerts and recitals, he often improvising in a classical style, transforming popular tunes in the process.
The following video is a good representation of Grayson’s art. The subject of this theme and variations is “Darth Vader’s Theme” by John Williams. The treatment is pure early Beethoven, and the result, while perhaps not strictly classical, is a very enjoyable listening experience and great fun besides.
Sound quality isn’t the best, but just let the video run. It won’t be long before you’ll hear through the distractions.
