BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, January 1, 1821

With his visitation cards freshly printed by Artaria & Co. in hand, Beethoven pays his New Year’s visits. One of the most important calls he makes is to Friedrich Starke, editor of the Wiener Pianoforte Schule (Vienna Piano School), with the five little piano pieces that he wrote a few months ago in the desk sketchbook Artaria 195. Beethoven inscribes the date on them, so we know the set was presented as a New Year’s gift. Starke can now use these pieces in his series of instructional works for young pianists. They will be printed in his publication later this year.

These five pieces will also go on to form part of Beethoven’s 11 Bagatelles, op.119. They will be nrs. 7 through 11 of that set. The third of these five (op.119/9) is performed here by Emilie Filipek.