Una Paloma Blanca, First version of WoO 158a Nr. 19, Gardi 25 (mp3)
Barry Cooper in his book on Beethoven's folk songs characterizes this as a "rough draft" for the song, rather than a different version. Hess in his Supplement to the Gesamtausgabe publishes this version in full. It differs from the final version in mostly minor details, though it does have one additional bar at the end which does not appear in the final version. The sixteenth triplets and arpeggios of the accompaniment suggest the cooing of the dove. This song is part of Beethoven's set of Continental Folk Songs, a project which interested him, but which was not published by George Thomson . Beethoven collected the melodies and texts for these songs himself, whereas Thomson had supplied the Irish, Scottish and Welsh folk melodies and words. Unfortunately, the project fell through when Thomson was unable to produce English translations of the songs in a suitable form. The project was abandoned in July 1818.
Bolero a Solo Una paloma blanca como la nieve, Como la nieve Me ha picado en el pecho, Como me duele, Me ha picado en el pecho, Como me deule! A bird white as the snow, As the snow, Has pierced me in the breast, How it aches! It has pierced me in the breast, How it aches!
Gardi: 25
WoO: 158