Biamonti 482 – Song Sketches, Spring 1809. They are included in the group of sheets described by Nottebohm (Zweite Beethoveniana, page 267), without musical quotations. They are followed by the brief fragment “Soll ichs dem Irrthum danken” (“Shall I thank error for it?”).

Note: The Landsberg 5 sketchbook dates from 1809 and is preserved in the Beethoven Collection of the Music Department of the German State Library in Berlin. The Beethovenhaus in Bonn published an excellent edition in 1993, edited by Dr. Clemens Brenneis. Unfortunately, the first pages are missing. However, several sheets have been added that originate from the Peters and Willmot sketchbooks. The sketches in this notebook concern Opus 69, 70, 73, 74, 75-5, 75-6, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81a, 82-2, 85, 86, 115. It contains an impressive number of unpublished fragments.

Nottebohm writes: “After this (pp. 53–58) appear the sketches for an ‘Overture for any occasion – or for concert use’, which has already been discussed elsewhere [cf. article II.] [Landsberg 5, page 61, stave 5 and page 64, staves 5–9], and in between there are sketches for songs. The only melodic sketch with text admitted is the one found above, written on page 63, stave 1, but, as often happens, the text of Beethoven’s melody is difficult to decipher. Another melody, almost illegible, with associated text, is found immediately below on staves 2, 3, and 4. However, this melody turns out to be the sketch for the overture ‘Die Ähnlichkeit’ (‘The Resemblance’), Biamonti 483, and the text is a commentary on the sketch.”