The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume IThayer, Alexander Wheelock
History
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume I
Thayer, Alexander Wheelock
Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827
A companion-piece to this movement is the fragment of a Concerto for
Violin in C major, of which the autograph is in the archives of the
Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, the handwriting of which
indicates that it belongs to the early Vienna if not the Bonn period.
That it is a first transcription is indicated by the fact that there
are many erasures and corrections. The fragment contains 259 measures,
embracing the orchestral introduction, the first solo passage, the
second _tutti_ and the beginning of the free fantasia for the solo
instrument; it ends with the introduction of a new transition _motif_
which leads to the conjecture that the movement was finished and that
the missing portion has been lost.[54]
A Trio in E-flat for Pianoforte, Violin and Violoncello, found among
Beethoven’s posthumous papers, was published in 1836 by Dunst in
Frankfort-on-the-Main. On the original publication its authenticity was
certified to by Diabelli, Czerny and Ferdinand Ries, and it was stated
that the original manuscript was in the possession of Schindler;
Wegeler verified the handwriting as that of Beethoven. Schindler
cites Beethoven’s utterance that he had written the work at the age
of 15 years and described it as one of his “highest strivings in the
free style of composition,” which was either a misunderstanding of
Schindler’s or a bit of irony on the part of Beethoven. Nearer the
truth, at any rate, is a remark in Gräffer’s written catalogue of
Beethoven’s works: “Composed _anno_ 1791, and originally intended for
the three trios, Op. 1, but omitted as too weak by Beethoven.” Whether
or not this observation rests on an authentic source is not stated.[55]
Whether or not the Pianoforte Trios, Op. 1, were composed in Bonn may
be left without discussion here, since we shall be obliged to recur
to the subject later. The facts about them that have been determined
beyond controversy are, that they were published in 1795; were not
ready in their final shape in 1794; and were already played in the
presence of Haydn in 1793.
OTHER WORKS COMPOSED IN BONN
The Variations in E-flat for Pianoforte, Violin and Violoncello, which
were published in 1804 by Hofmeister in Leipsic as Op. 44, apparently
belong to the last year of Beethoven’s life in Bonn. Nottebohm found
a sketch of the work alongside one of the song “Feuerfarbe,” which
fact points to the year 1792; Beethoven in a letter to the publisher
appears not to have laid particular store by it, a circumstance easily
understood in view of the great works which had followed the youthful
effort.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account