Biamonti 458 – “Erste Fantasie” (First Fantasy) in B Minor, Final Months of 1808

Source: Grasnick Sketchbook No. 3, Sheet 37a, Second Page, Line 7 Transcription and analysis by: Dagmar Weise, page 136 Location: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Classification: Unbekannt (Unknown work)

This fragment, inscribed by Beethoven in the waning months of 1808, bears the tantalizing title:

“erste fantasie h moll” (“first fantasy in B minor”)

Yet, true to Beethoven’s sketching habits, the notation is highly provisional: no key signature, no tempo indication, and only a handful of measures—some in 4/4, others in 6/4—creating a rhythmic ambiguity that renders the fragment aleatory and elusive.

Dagmar Weise notes that this sketch may be related to Biamonti 468, which appears on the same page. The connection, while speculative, suggests a thematic or structural kinship between the two fragments.