Beethoven 1796

AGE 25 - 26 [1796]

Compiled by Gary D. Evans

Last Updated: March 25, 2019 7:01 PM

THE EARLY PERIOD

VIENNA - 1796 (Age 25 - 26)

Beethoven continued counterpoint instruction with Johann Albrechtsberger and others.

He continued to be supported by several patrons, principally Prince Joseph Franz Lobkowitz, Prince Karl Lichnowsky and Baron Gottfried van Swieten. Beethoven's fame grew exponentially, and increasing numbers of his compositions were regularly published.

Now at the age of 25 years, Beethoven continued performances being widely known as a remarkable musician. Some of his unorthodox methods were criticized by some and revered by many. The Opus 1 Piano Trios and Opus 2 Piano Sonatas had been published and noticed. Beethoven was seen to have mastered the formal and tonal procedures of the classical era. He was becoming widely known not only as a master pianist but as a major composer. There were many publishers interested in working with him and income increased.

image from 1801

WORKS CREATED

op 5: 2 Cello Sonatas #1 in F, #2 in g	These were the first Cello sonatas ever written (Written in May-June while in Berlin for the Feb-July tour.) Berlin court music had been influenced by King Friedrich Wilhelm II who was a talented amateur cellist. The sonatas were written for Jean Louis Duport, a Frenchman hired as first cellist of the Royal Prussian Court Orchestra (2 matched works for violoncello & piano.) Neither Haydn nor Mozart had written for this combination of instruments in classic sonata form. Following these, Beethoven began a series of Violin Sonatas in 1797 with a return to cello sonatas in 1809: op69 & in 1815: op102.
op 7: Piano Sonata in E	(Considered 1st masterpiece)
op 9: String Trios sketched	(pub 1798) (B. felt best work to date)
op10#2: Piano Sonata #6 in F	Dedicated to Countess Browne.
op10#1: Piano Sonata #5 in c	begun
op 16: St.quintet (piano and winds)	(patterned after Mozart k452) (written early in the year while in Berlin for the Feb-July tour)
op 46 Adelaide	(begun)
op 49#2: Piano Sonata	(Feb - April)
op 51#1: Rondo in C
op 65: Ah! Perfido	(Feb - April) (Composed in Prague)
op 66: 12 variations on Mozart's Magic Flute	(written while in Berlin for the 2-7 tour)
op 71: Wind Sextet	(Feb - April)
WoO 32: Duet for Violin & Cello in Eb
WoO 42: 6 German Dances in F, D, F, A, D, G.	Ded. to "The two countesses Thun" (Probably Princess Lichnowsky and the wife of Count Razumovsky (Feb-Apr)
WoO 43: 2 Sonatinas #1 Adagio for Mandolin in c, #2 Adagio for Mandolin in Eb	(Feb-Apr) For Countess Josephine de Clary in Prague
WoO 44: 2 Andante & var's for Mandolin # 1 in C, # 2 in D	(Feb - Apr) For Countess Josephine de Clary in Prague
WoO 45: 12 variations for Cello & piano in G (Theme of Handel's Judas Maccabeus)	(written while in Berlin for the 2-7 tour)
op 49#1: Sonata #19 in g [2 movements]	? December
op 49#2: Sonata #20 in G [2 movements]
WoO 53: Allegretto for piano in c
WoO 69: 6 variations in C on "Quant' e' piu bello" from Paisiello's la molinara.
WoO 71: 12 variations in A on the Russian Dance in Paul Wranitsky's ballet "Das Waldmadchen"	(Nov) Dedication of the #5 variation was to Count Browne who rewarded Beethoven with a gift of a saddlehorse which B. rode only a few times then completely forgot. His servant became aware that B. had forgotten the horse and so bought food for it and rented it out, pocketing the money himself and keeping the bills from Beethoven. After a time, Beethoven was given the bills and only then did he recall that he had been given the responsibility for the horse. [Imp.of Cntmp's=Ries p 59]
Hess 69: Allegretto in c
Hess 79: Sketches and Fragments for Cadenza to Piano Concerto op 19	(Unheard Beethoven - Hess 79 Midi file)
Hess 145: Opferlied, 1st version
Hess 150: Heidenroeslein, for voice and piano - sketch

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

DATE
	At this time, Beethoven's unorthodox methods were controversial; criticized by some, revered by many others. The Opus 1 Piano Trios and Opus 2 Piano Sonatas had been published and noticed. Beethoven was seen to have mastered the formal and tonal procedures of the classical era. He was becoming widely known not only as a master pianist but as a major composer. There were many publishers interested in working with him and income increased.
Jan 8	Beethoven played a piano concerto at a concert in Redoutensaal
Feb	Tour: Prague (Mar), Dresden (Apr23), Leipzig, Berlin (May-July) w/ Lichnowsky.
Feb 19	Beethoven, on tour in Prague, wrote to his brother Johann (Anderson#16), now living in Vienna for 2 months, giving a present address: Im goldenen Einhorn auf der kleinseite (one of the largest Inns in Prague where Mozart had stayed in 1789). [Anderson v1_letter16]
Feb-Apr	While on tour, composed Ah! perfido op65 and mandolin music WoO 43-44 for Countess Josephine de Clary in Prague; 6 German Dances WoO 42 for the Countesses Thun, Piano Sonata op49#2, and Wind Sextet op71. [B.Cooper pg.14]
Mar 11	Performed for Friedrich Wilhelm II (of the Prussian court) in Prague
Mar	Piano Sonatas op2 published (dedicated to Haydn)
Mar 29	1st public performance at Burgtheater.
April 23	Arrived in Dresden on tour (see Feb.)
April 29	Played before Elector in Saxony while in Dresden and shortly after continued on tour to Leipzig and Berlin.
May	Played befor Prussian King Fredrich Wilhelm V while in Berlin [Kernan p21]
May	Trio op3 and Quintet op4 published.
May-July	While in Berlin, appeared at the Berlin Singakademie, and composed: Cello Sonatas op5 (for the court cellist Jean-Louis Duport), the Judas Maccabaeus Variations WoO 45, part of the Quintet op16 and sketched ideas for the 3rd Piano Concerto, and an eventually abandoned Symphony in C. [B.Cooper pg15]
June	Wegeler left Vienna (w/ Christoph von Breuning) for Bonn, having arrived 2 years earlier - Oct. 1794. (Never met again but correspondence continued.)
?	Apologetic letter sent to Franz Wegeler (Anderson#15)after an argument, apparently written some time during Wegeler's presence in Vienna (Oct 1794 - June 1796).
July	Returned from tour. (addr? thru May1799)
Nov	Tour: Pressburg (now Bratislava) where Beethoven performed at a concert Nov 23, and Pest (now Budapest). Composed Variations WoO 71
Nov 19	Wrote to Johann Andreas Streicher (Anderson#17), in Vienna from Pressburg, Hungary thanking him for the Streicher Piano that he sent to Beethoven.
	Wrote to Streicher (Anderson#18) regarding a 13 yo piano student of his (Streicher's) - ? Fraulein von Kissow (1783-c.1864) who had played an adagio from a Beethoven Piano Trio for him bringing tears to his eyes (probably the Adagio Cantabile movement of op1#1 in Eb) [see Anderson v1 pg25-26]
	Jovial short letter to his friend Nikolaus Zmeskall von Domanovecz (Anderson#19): "For a whole month the Baron has been forbidden to put any more questions or to commit any more precipitate actions or to interest himself in anything but his ipse miserum [miserable self].