Anhang 11

“Alexandermarsch” in F major for piano

The piece was originally part of the ballet Der blöde Ritter (“The Foolish Knight”) by Louis-Antoine Duport, first staged in Vienna on 11 April 1812. It was later transcribed for solo piano in May 1812. The music of the ballet was assembled from various composers, although no complete list of contributors has been preserved. However, the overture is known to have been composed by Daniel Steibelt. The march in question is likely attributable to Louis Luc Loiseau de Persuis (1769–1839). A later edition of the piece appeared under Beethoven’s name in 1829, published by Bachmann in Hannover.

Anhang 11 Alexandermarsch in F major piano version

Anhang 11 Alexandermarsch in F major orchestral version

Ah Ça ira Revolutionary Song

? Official Title: Anhang 11 – March in F major for Orchestra (?)

Composer: Louis Luc Loiseau de Persuis (?) (1769–1819) Hess Catalogue Reference: Anhang 24 Popular Title: Alexandermarsch

Only after Beethoven’s death did this march gain widespread circulation through various editions and copies—for piano four-hands and two-hands—either attributed to him or issued anonymously. No known comment from Beethoven regarding this march has ever surfaced.

The first piano reduction bearing Beethoven’s name was published in 1829 by Bachmann in Hannover.

? Balletic Origin and Misattribution

According to Gustav Nottebohm, the march was performed in the ballet Der blöde Ritter oder die Macht der Frauen (“The Foolish Knight or The Power of Women”), choreographed by Louis-Antoine Duport and premiered in Vienna on April 11, 1812. A complete piano version was published under Duport’s name in May 1812 by the Imperial Court Theatre Music Publisher (K.k. Hoftheater-Musik-Verlag), catalogued as RISM A/I DD 3853 III,1.

The ballet score was compiled from compositions by various composers; for example, the overture was drawn from La belle laitière by Daniel Steibelt, which had been performed in London as early as 1806.

? Probable Authorship and Historical Reception

The march was likely composed by Louis Luc Loiseau de Persuis, and it became widely known during the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815), largely thanks to Friedrich Starke’s arrangement as Alexander’s Favourite March (Op. 78), published in Vienna by S. A. Steiner & Comp., plate number PN 2303 (see Wh I, p. 37).

Composer Ignaz Moscheles created Variations for piano and orchestra (Op. 32) based on the Alexander March theme, published by Artaria in Vienna in April 1815 (PN 2405).

? Stage Integration and Revolutionary Motif

In the Singspiel “Die Ehrenpforten” by Friedrich Treitschke, first performed on 15 July 1815 at the Kärntnertortheater, with Beethoven contributing the final chorus (WoO 97), the Alexandermarsch was among the musical pieces included. The Leipziger Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung review from 16 July 1815 listed item 7 as “Duet based on a popular march melody” (AmZ 17, 1815, 23 August 1815, col. 566).

The opening theme of the march borrows from the famous French revolutionary song “Ah! ça ira”, also used by Carl Maria von Weber in his cantata Kampf und Sieg (“Battle and Victory”), commemorating Napoleon’s defeat at Belle-Alliance and Waterloo in June 1815.

Its 1815 popularity may be linked to revolutionary echoes and the final Allied victory over Napoleon.

?️ Editions and Catalog References

The first edition bearing Beethoven’s name, a piano reduction, was issued in 1829 by Bachmann in Hannover, referenced in AmZ 31, 1829, Intelligenzblatt 18 (Dec 1829), col. 70.

Title:

“Zwei Märsche für das Pianoforte / Alexander’s Favourite March / Funeral March on the Death of a Hero / L. van Beethoven”

This was cited in a print volume titled Pièces diverses arrangées pour piano in the CH-LAcu collection. Published also by Cranz in Hamburg around 1840 under Beethoven’s name, titled:

“Marche très favorite d’Alexandre […] à deux ou à quatre mains”

Notable holdings:

Germany: D-LÜh
UK: GB-LB1
USA: US-NYp

Also listed in Beethoven catalogues:

Wh5 (1821/22), p. 44
Wh II, p. 873

In all instances, the march appears without a named composer across numerous publishers.

? Bibliographic Citations

B&H (1851): p. 151
Nottebohm (1868): p. 189
Lbl Catalog, vol. 4: p. 309
NYp Catalog, vol. 3: p. 302

? Ah! ça ira — A Symbol of the French Revolution

The song bearing the refrain “Ah! ça ira”, emblematic of the Revolution, was reportedly heard for the first time in May 1790. Its author, a former soldier named Ladré, adapted the melody from a popular contredanse composed by Bécourt, a violinist at the Théâtre Beaujolais. Remarkably, Queen Marie Antoinette herself is said to have enjoyed performing this tune on the harpsichord.

The title and recurring refrain of the song were inspired by the unwavering optimism of Benjamin Franklin, who served as the official representative of the Congress of the Thirteen American Colonies in Paris from 22 December 1776 to 12 July 1785. When asked about the prospects of the American War of Independence, Franklin famously responded in broken French: “Ça ira, ça ira” (“It’ll be fine”).

During the Revolution, the original lyrics were transformed by the sans-culottes into fierce invective against the aristocracy and clergy. The song Ça ira endured through the Thermidorian Reaction, and the Directory even mandated that it be performed before every theatrical production. It was later banned under the Consulate.

Numerous versions of the song exist, with its lyrics evolving over time—from the optimistic spirit of the 14 July 1790 festivities:

“Ah ça ira, ça ira! Pierrot and Margot sing at the tavern! Ah! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira! Let us rejoice, good times shall return.”

to the far more threatening refrains of the later Revolutionary fervor:

“Ah ça ira, ça ira, ça ira! Aristocrats to the lantern! Ah! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira! We’ll hang the aristocrats.”

© Copyright 2005/2026 of the Centro Ricerche Musicali Beethoveniane (C.R.M.B.) www.lvbeethoven.it – Managers, co-authors, reviewers and curators: Luigi Domenico Bellofatto, Antonietta Cappelli, Graziano Denini, Armando Orlandi and Fiorella Romenzi. Texts, documents, research, scores, mp3, MIDI files and documents are the exclusive property of the Centro Ricerche Musicali Beethoveniane (C.R.M.B.) and their respective authors; therefore, none of these resources may be used or disclosed without the prior written authorization of the owners. The complete list of researchers, performers and collaborators of the Centro Ricerche Musicali is visible on the relevant page. Anyone wishing to contact us for consultation, to obtain a copy of the site’s resources or to collaborate with the Centro Ricerche Musicali Beethoveniane (C.R.M.B.), can make a request using the appropriate contact form. Web publishing: Aruba. Site optimized for mobile devices, tablets and PCs with a resolution of 1920 × 1440 or higher. To provide a better service to users, the site only uses technical cookies, which do not track the visitor or send personal data to third parties. These cookies do not require a prior consent banner: we mention them here anyway.