BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, November 23, 1821

Today’s Wiener Zeitung contains a large advertisement for the new publication of a Grand Piano Sextet, op.100 by Beethoven’s former composition pupil, Ferdinand Ries. Other works by Ries in the advertisement include a Rondo for piano on a theme from Rossini’s Barber of Seville; a Cavatina from the opera Tancredi for piano four hands, Violin Sonata op.83; 2 Violin Sonatas op.81; a Nocturne for flute and piano op. 82; 3 easy flute sonatas, op.86; piano variations on a theme from Griselda, op.81; a piano fantasia on themes from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, op.77, and variations on the theme Schöne Minka. Beethoven himself had written variations on that Ukrainian folk song as part of the variations for piano or flute, op.107/7.

This advertisement bears witness to Ries’ continued popularity in Vienna, which no doubt pleased Beethoven. The ad is repeated in the Monday, November 26th edition and again on Thursday, November 29.

The first movement, Allegro con brio, from Ries’ Piano Sextet op.100, can be heard performed by Ensemble Concertant Frankfurt here: