WoO 100 Lob auf den Dicken: Schuppanzig ist ein Lump, scherzo for soloists (tenor and two basses) and choir
WoO 100 – Lob auf den Dicken: Schuppanzig ist ein Lump, scherzo for soloists (tenor and two basses) and chorus (16 bars in all) for the violinist Ignazio Schuppanzig, 1801, first published by Grove in the Dictionary of Musicians, editions 1885 and 1928, entry «Schuppanzig»; subsequently, in facsimile and print, edited by Beethovenhaus; recently printed by Mac-Ardle-Misch, Letters, 1956, p. 27 and by W. Hess in the fifth issue of the Supplements zur GA., 1962. B. 320 – H. 278 – KH. (WoO) 100 – T. 91.
Text (by Beethoven?): Schuppanzigh ist ein Lump, Wer kennt ihn nicht, Den dicken Sauermagen, Den aufgeblasnen Eselskopf? O Lump Schuppanzigh, O Esel Schuppanzigh, Wir stimmen alle ein, Du bist der größte Esel, O Esel, hi hi ha” .
The coarseness of the words is softened only by the elementary playfulness of the music, which ultimately even imitates the braying of a donkey.
The manuscript is preserved at the Beethoven Haus and bound in an album with the inscription “BEETHOVEN / CLAVIER-SONATE (D.dur) / OPUS 28”; the WoO 100 is on the last page.
The manuscript was acquired by the Beethoven-Haus in 1904 and had previously been in the possession of Johann Nepomuk Kafka (who in turn had purchased it from Carl Haslinger, vulgo Tobias), as attested by the following unique document written by Kafka and countersigned by A. W. Thayer:
“The undersigned hereby undertakes not to print or publish in any place, nor to make public in any way, the satirical and offensive quartet for solo voices with choir entitled ‘Praise to the Fat One’, which Beethoven composed for Schuppanzigh, first violinist of the famous string quartet of Prince Rasumovsky in Vienna (the text, likewise, is in the hand of the immortal hero of sound), without the prior approval of Mr Johann Nep[omuk] Kafka, musician in Vienna and owner of the original Beethoven manuscript.”
Vienna, Sunday, 24 November 1861
Alexr W. Thayer
[By Biamonti Giovanni – Catalogo cronologico e tematico delle opere di Beethoven comprese quelle inedite e gli abbozzi non utilizzati, Torino, ILTE 1968]
Official title: WoO 100 Lob auf den dicken Schuppanzigh Musikalischer Scherz (G-dur) nach einem eigenen Text für Soli und Männerchor Widmung: – NGAXII/2 AGA- SBG V/28 (2. Auflage: 29; Hess 278)
Origin and Publication:
A musical scherzo composed in 1801 in Vienna. The first edition appeared posthumously in 1883 in Gehring’s article “Schuppanzigh” in George Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians. The only indication of the period of composition is the complete transcription of the work found on the final page of the piano sonata Op. 28, which was written in 1801.
The “dicke S.” refers to Ignaz Schuppanzigh, a violinist, conductor, and concert organiser. Due to his corpulence, Beethoven often referred to him as “Falstaff” or “My Lord”, in reference to Shakespeare’s “Lord Falstaff”.
From 1794 to 1799, Schuppanzigh was a violinist in the quartet of Prince Karl Lichnowsky, and from 1808 to 1816 in the quartet of Count Andreas Rasumovsky. From 1816, he travelled through Germany, Poland, and Russia, returning to Vienna only in 1823. After his return, Beethoven dedicated to him the canon WoO 184 (“Falstafferel, lass’ dich sehen!”).
Date of first performance unknown.
The sketches will be featured in an article specially created for the Beethovenian Music Research Center, www.lvbeethoven.org
