Biamonti 284 – Allegro in A-flat Major and A Major (Schm. XX), about 1800. 8 and 11/5 measures This sketch appears in the notebook published by Arnold Schmitz, Beethoven – Unbekannte Skizzen und Entwürfe, Bonn, Beethoven-Haus, 1924. It is located on page 4, staves 9–10 (second half) and 11–12 (first half) of a bifolio held by the Beethoven-Haus, catalogued as BH 114.

Dating and Paleographic Notes: According to Biamonti, these two sheets date to around 1800. However, Julia Ronge of the Beethoven-Haus writes: “This page clearly belongs to Beethoven’s early years in Vienna, from 1793 or 1794. The notation in light brown ink is in Beethoven’s handwriting from that period (the shape of the clef and the note heads are still drawn with care). The darker ink and pencil marks on the page are quite clearly in Beethoven’s hand as well, but from a much later date.”

We know that Beethoven attempted to use these sketches for Bagatelles intended for publication by Peters in 1822. According to Johnson, Tyson, and Winter, these belong to the Vienna Papers, predating the Grasnick 1 sketchbook. Based on format, watermark, and number of staves, they are linked to:

• Kafka Miscellanea (folios 46–47, 51–54, 89–95, 139)
• Fishhof Miscellanea (folios 3–6, 22–23, 51–56)
• Manuscripts Vienna A 65 and A 83
• Manuscript Bonn BH 102
• Velten Collection 64, Bonn University Library
• Gallica Ms. 87, Bibliothèque nationale de France

Tonal Considerations: Regarding this Allegro, based on the starting and ending harmonies, and considering the natural signs placed before the Gs in measure 4 (which would otherwise lack clear meaning), we believe Beethoven did not indicate G♭ in the key signature, and therefore the piece should be considered in D♭ major, not A♭ major. Arnold Schmitz reached the same conclusion: in his reconstruction, he places the flat in parentheses for all Gs except those in measures 3–4, which modulate to A♭ major.

 Revision Notes: Immediately after the end of the bass staff, likely during the 1822 revision, Beethoven writes a different figuration in measure 5. Schmitz retains the original figuration, which Beethoven did not cross out, while we have indicated the revised version. Beethoven numbers this “Allegro” as No. 7. The same number 7, in a completely different handwriting, appears four staves above, marking another piece also in A♭ major but in Andante tempo. Schmitz catalogues this as XIX, corresponding to WoO 213 No. 1.

Relationship to Other Pieces: According to Biamonti, this small piece is connected to the following Allegro in A major. However, we believe the two are separate pieces, even though there is no double bar line between them. Supporting our hypothesis: the subsequent Allegro in A major was named No. 9 by Beethoven himself and later catalogued as WoO 213 No. 3.

Bibliography:

• Julia Ronge: Wissenswert – commentary on the BH 114 page, Beethoven-Haus
• Johnson, Tyson, Winter: Beethoven’s Sketchbooks

• Arnold Schmitz: Unbekannte Skizzen und Entwürfe