Frederic Chopin - Variations on a Theme Rossini for Flute and Piano, edited by Ervin Monroe. The Variations on a Theme by Rossini in E major, is an unusual work in Chopin’s catalogue, written for flute and piano and traditionally associated with his youth. It uses the aria “Non più mesta accanto al fuoco” from Rossini’s La Cenerentola as its theme, followed by four variations in which the flute progressively elaborates the melody with increasingly brilliant passagework.