Twelve Ecossaises, WoO 16 (mp3)

Twelve Ecossaises for Piano, WoO 16 (1806). These ecossaises are a complete fraud. There were published in 1806 by Rodolphe Werckmeister in Berlin as being by "Louis van Beethoven." What these ecossaises are in fact is extremely poor arrangements of some Beethoven themes intermingled with other themes of unknown origin.

According to Martin Staehlin of Bonn, the sources of the ecossaises are as follows:
1. First Symphony, op 21, First Movement, 1st Theme
2. Second Symphony, op. 36, First Movement, 2nd Theme
3. String Quartet op. 18 Nr. 2, Fourth Movement, 1st Theme
4. String Quartet op. 18 Nr. 5, Third Movement, Theme
5. Source unknown
6. Octet op. 103, Fourth Movement, Theme
7. Piano Sonata op. 49 Nr. 1, First Movement, 1st Theme, in Major
8. Source unknown
9. Piano Sonata op. 10 Nr. 2, Third Movement, 1st Theme
10 Piano Sonata op. 2 Nr. 1, Fourth Movement, 1st Theme, in Major
11, 12 Source unknown

Because these ecossaises are so crude and tedious, we have provided an additional track with harpsichord highlights to relieve the monotony. They are provided here just for the sake of completeness and to answer any curiosity which music-lovers might have about this piece.

WoO: 16

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