As far back as bardic and skaldic traditions predating written notation, the act of reinterpretation has been a staple in music. Fast forward to the ‘classical’ era, and this becomes formalized under the banner term ‘variations.’ Many composers have been known to use this as a compositional tactic in their own work, such as Chopin’s “Nocturne in F Minor,” that so effectively returns to its introductory phrase later as a reworked, re-imagined passage of far greater depth and complexity. But then there are also multiple instances of composers reinterpreting the work of others, too: such as Mozart’s 1785 mediation of “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” (“Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” to use its ‘official’ name). In 1819, Anton Diabelli went so far as to encourage other composers to give one of his wa...
