Sketches to First Movement of Tenth Symphony, Biamonti 838
[Ed. Note: We present here midis of both Beethoven's original sketches for the First Movement and Scherzo, and Gerd Prengel's conjectural completion of the Scherzo in piano score. The interested listener is also directed to Mr. Prengel's website below for a conjectural completion of the first movement of this symphony, which is very interesting to compare to that of Dr. Barry Cooper (for which see the Seldom-Heard Beethoven page under Biamonti 838)]
Among other short sketches for the Tenth symphony from the year 1825 there is a 24 bar sketch for the beginning of the scherzo in c minor, titled "Presto", and a sketch of 8 bars for the Trio in C major.
The theme for the Scherzo is very dynamic and powerful. The rhythmic structure is very much like the main subject of the Scherzo of the fifth Symphony, whereas the melody line may remind us of the Scherzo of Schumann's first Symphony. The subject contains tremendous potential for development. It's a great loss that the musical public just doesn't know it. So I tried to compose a whole symphonic movement on the base of this sketch.
The movement starts along the line of the 24 bars of the sketch. Partially I altered the melodic line from Beethoven in this way that where Beethoven puts 3 equal quarter notes I put the second note half a note higher (see for example bar 3, 5, 18 and 20)., because I found this more dynamic. Furthermore I tried to increase the power of the theme by adding a countersubject (in the first violin) to the main theme (second violin). This beginning is followed by another 16 bars which end the first part of the scherzo. After the repetition of this first part, the second section starts with a harsh transition from c minor to d minor and then a little fugato where the main theme is accompanied by two countersubjects. This culminates in a hymnlike fortissimo part in a minor and ends abruptly.
What follows is a tender and melodic dolce/cantabile section in c major which the fagott once tries to "disturb" with the agressive main theme. Again it comes to a hymnlike, jubilant fortissimo and an abrupt end. Then the main developement of the main theme begins in g minor with the main theme in the second violins and a new countertheme in the first violins. This developement comes to a climax when the main theme is treated contrapuntally by putting its first 4 bars together with the powerful motif from bar 6 thru 7.
At first sight the 8 bars from Beethoven's sketch for the Trio don't seem to be very appealing. Nonetheless it inspired me to a jubilant and dancelike piece of music for the scherzo. I personally believe that the symetrical descending and ascending line of the beginning of the sketch inspired Beethoven a few months later to the wonderful slow movement of the string quartett op. 135!
What I did here with the sketches for the third movement I also did with sketches for the first and second movement (see http://www.gerdprengel.de)
--------Gerd Prengel
Biamonti: 838