Biamonti 456 – Various Sketches for the Choral Fantasy, First Half of 1808

This entry encompasses four distinct sketches intended for an instrumental introduction to the Fantasia for chorus, piano, and orchestra, Op. 80. All are preserved in the Grasnick Sketchbook No. 3, housed at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, and were transcribed and analyzed by Dagmar Weise.

Biamonti 456a

• Location: Sheet 6r, lines 14–15 (Weise, p. 71)
• Annotations by Beethoven:
  • “Anfang” – “Beginning”
  • “Vielleicht mit einem Quartett anfangen” – “Perhaps begin with a quartet”
  • “Finale welches sich mit einem Quartett in Es anfängt” – “Finale which begins with a quartet in E-flat”

This sketch likely represents Beethoven’s initial idea for an instrumental opening in E-flat major, possibly to be played by a string quartet. Although he ultimately opted for a lengthy solo piano introduction, this early concept reveals his exploratory thinking. Notably, Biamonti omits the key signature in his catalog, which risks misinterpretation as E minor rather than E-flat major.

Biamonti 456b

• Location: Sheet 27r, lines 4–5 (Weise, p. 113)
• Annotation: “Anfang der Fantasie” – “Beginning of the Fantasy”

This sketch appears to mark the end of the introduction and the start of the Fantasy proper. The vocal line is written with fine, precise script, while the bass clef accompaniment is bold and forceful, suggesting it may have been drafted at two different moments. The accompaniment is sketched with repeated quarter notes, and from the second measure onward, only numerical harmonic indications are provided. After a fermata, a fragment in bass clef and 4/4 time emerges, which—aside from a missing natural sign on B—coincides with the opening of the bass line in the final version of the Fantasy.

Biamonti 456c

• Location: Sheet 37a recto, lines 1–3 (Weise, p. 135)
• Annotations:
  1. “Anfang der Fantasie” – “Beginning of the Fantasy”
  2. “Vor der Finale” – “Before the finale”
  3. “diesis” – “sharp”
  4. “langsam” – “slowly”
  5. “ausgeführt bis…” – “developed until…”
  6. “Einleitung zu ersten Fantasie” – “Introduction to the first Fantasy”
  7. “geschwind” – “quickly”
  8. “dann” – “then”

This sketch is rich in tempo and structural indications, suggesting Beethoven was working through various introductory possibilities, including changes in tempo and character.

Biamonti 456d

• Location: Sheet 38r, lines 1–14 (Weise, p. 137)
• This sketch occupies the entire page and is highly fragmentary. It was likely intended for the introduction to the Fantasy, but ultimately remained unused.
• Dagmar Weise speculates that it may have inspired the theme of the Rondo in the Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73.

It contains no tempo or key signature, and few bar lines, though the rhythmic structure suggests an imperfect time signature.