How Many Variations Can You make ?

I enjoy listening to disks of solo piano recitals but find them among the most difficult to write much about. This disk features Maurizio Pollini playing Beethoven's Diabelli Variations. I could recount the old tale about how Diabelli invited numerous composers in the Habsburg Empire to write one variation on his rather banal waltz theme and how Beethoven at first declined but then wrote 33 variations just on his own. The earlier example of Bach's Goldbergs is obvious and the booklet note details exactly how the variations were structured and built up. Not as obviously attractive as the Goldbergs they are nonetheless rewarding to listen to and reflect a variety of moods from the serious to the playful. As I recently wrote regarding the Kissin Schumann disk, I'm not qualified to critically dissect piano performances. Pollini does have the reputation of being something of a cold, calculated player but I didn't find anything on this disk to support that view in any derogatory sense.