Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856) was one of the greatest composers for piano, enriching its literature with a series of poetic works in which classical structure and romantic expression are combined.

The Variations on the name 'Abegg' in F major were composed between 1829 and 1830 and published as his Opus 1. The name is believed to refer to Schumann's fictitious friend, Meta Abegg, whose surname Schumann used through a musical cryptogram as the motivic basis for the piece.

The name Meta is considered to be an anagram of the Latin word "tema". However, there are many doubts about the name of Schumann's friend. Another suggestion is Pauline von Abegg. Apparently, when he was twenty years old, Schumann met her and dedicated this work to her, as witnessed in, for example, Clara Schumann's edition of her husband's piano works.

The first five notes of the theme are A-B-E-G-G (the B in German usage, corresponding to the English B-flat). This use of pitch names as letters was also used by Schumann in other compositions, such as his 'Carnaval'.

Schumann
Theme and First Variation (Abegg Variations Op 1)
BBC Radio 3 recital