Symphony in E, Slow Movement, Gardi 1 (orchestrated and completed by Willem)
The sketch for this movement can be found in the Kafka-sketchbook in the British Library. It is written on a paper type which was acquired by Beethoven in Prague in 1796, and therefore dates from approximately that time, and probably predates the First Symphony.
It is about 79 bars long, consisting of a more or less continuous single melodic line, with indications for the accompaniment and orchestration. The very beautiful main melody has a clear Mozartian character, which shouldn't surprise us given the date of origin. However, this sketch also seems to point forward to 2nd movement of the Piano Sonata nr.27 in e minor, op.90 (1814). Not only are the key and time the same (E major, 2/4), there also occurs the same rare harmony (cf. bar 3 of the sketch and bar 16 of the Sonata Movement) and in both the sketch and the Sonata Movement there are passages built on long undulating 16th seconds (bar 30 ff of the sketch, bar 34 ff of the Sonata Movement). The present Symphony Movement has a dramatic contrast which Beethoven carefully avoided in the Sonata Movement.
We present here both Beethoven's sketch (for piano, with orchestral parts as indicated by Beethoven) and a hypothesized completion and orchestration. Completion and orchestration of the slow movement is by Willem (1999). World premiere for the Unheard Beethoven site.
Gardi: 1