The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume IIThayer, Alexander Wheelock
History
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II
Thayer, Alexander Wheelock
Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827
The two new Sonatas were finished and were now made known to
Beethoven’s intimates. In the one in C major, Op. 53, there was a
long Andante. A friend of Beethoven’s said to him that the Sonata was
too long, for which he was terribly taken to task by the composer.
But after quiet reflection Beethoven was convinced of the correctness
of the criticism. The Andante was therefore excluded and its place
supplied by the interesting Introduction to the Rondo which it now has.
A year after the publication of the Sonata it also appeared separately.
In these particulars Ries is confirmed by Czerny, who adds: “Because
of its popularity (for Beethoven played it frequently in society) he
gave it the title ‘Andante favori.’ I am the more sure of this since
Beethoven sent me the proof together with the manuscript for revision.”
The arrangement for string quartet may have been made much later,
probably by Ries (?).
This Andante (Ries continues) has left a painful memory in me. When
Beethoven played it for the first time to our friend Krumpholtz and
me, it delighted us greatly and we teased him until he repeated it.
Passing the door of Prince Lichnowsky’s house (by the Schottenthor)
on my way home I went in to tell the Prince of the new and glorious
composition of Beethoven’s, and was persuaded to play it as well
as I could remember it. Recalling more and more of it the Prince
urged me to repeat it. In this way it happened that the Prince also
learned a portion of the piece. To give Beethoven a surprise the
Prince went to him the next day and said that he too had composed
something which was not at all bad. In spite of Beethoven’s remark
that he did not want to hear it the Prince sat down and to the
amazement of the composer played a goodly portion of the Andante.
Beethoven was greatly angered, and this was the reason why I ~never
again heard Beethoven play~.
Prince Louis Ferdinand, now on his way into Italy, made a short stay
at Vienna, renewing his acquaintance with Beethoven; but of their
intercourse few particulars are known. Ries relates (“Notizen,” p.
111), that an old countess gave a little musical entertainment “to
which, naturally, Beethoven was invited. When the company sat down to
supper, plates for the high nobility only were placed at the Prince’s
table--none for Beethoven. He flew into a rage, made a few ugly
remarks, took his hat and went away. A few days later Prince Louis gave
a dinner to which some members of the first company, including the old
countess, were invited. When they sat down to table the old countess
was placed on one side of the Prince, Beethoven on the other, a mark of
distinction which Beethoven always referred to with pleasure.”
[Sidenote: BEETHOVEN AND BREUNING RECONCILED]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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