BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, November 6, 1824

The Zeitung für die Elegante Welt [Newspaper for the Elegant World] published today in Vienna contains at 1758-1759 a short review of a newly published Complete Collection of Beethoven’s Overtures from the Steiner & Co. firm in Vienna, arranged for piano solo and four hands piano. The first entry in the series is the Overture to August von Kotzebue’s Ruinen von Athen, op.113, available for 30 kreutzers.

“It is a welcome initiative to publish van Beethoven’s overtures in this manner. The present original, delicate, significant, but not overly extended composition begins as an Andante con moto (G minor 6/8), with harsh expression, which shortly afterwards dissolves in gentle cheerfulness into a short, marchlike theme (Marcia moderato, G-major 4/4). Now a more vivacious emotion is expressed more freely in the beautiful principal theme Allegro ma non troppo (G-major, 4/4). Triplets give it a certain liveliness. It alternates with a very fine and beautifully drafted secondary theme in C-major, which is characterized by delicate melody and successful contrapuntal imitations. On the whole, someone of Cherubini’s style can be seen in this excellent composition. It is also quite easy to play, but needs to be performed with particular delicacy in order to not lose the full effect.”

Our thanks to frequent contributor Birthe Kibsgaard for pointing out this review.

Our next update is November 8.