Andrew Lloyd Webber-Varations (1978)

“Varations” is a highly grandiose and pretentious piece of music by the renowned composer, arranger, and instrumentalist Andrew Lloyd Webber, inspired by the famous “Guitar and String Quartet” by the 17th-century Italian composer Niccolò Paganini. For the complex recording of this work, Webber enlisted a number of highly acclaimed musicians, including his brother Julian, a virtuoso cellist, whose instrument is central to the music presented here. The rest of the ensemble consists of members of the progressive jazz-rock band Colosseum II: Gary Moore on guitar, Don Airey on keyboards, and their captivating jazz rhythm section comprised of Jon Hiseman (drums and percussion) and John Mole (bass). Also contributing are the legendary Rod Argent on keyboards, Herbie Flowers on bass, Bill LeSage on vibraphone, Phil Collins on drums, and Barbara Thomson on wind instruments. The end result is a brilliant classical piece that transforms into various styles ranging from blues and hard rock sounds to jazz and symphonic progression, all without losing any coherence, making this work one of the greatest achievements and a milestone in uniting classical and rock music in such an overwhelming and anthological way.