Biamonti 630 – Sketches for an Opera, 1815
Biamonti 630 – Sketches for an Opera, 1815.
Sketchbook page: 52 (Nottebohm, Volume II, page 329). These sketches may refer to the opera Bacchus (see note III, no. 15) or Romulus (note III, no. 18)—both unrealized operatic projects.
Beethoven’s Annotation: “Dissonanzen vielleicht in der ganzen Oper nicht aufgelöst oder ganz anders da sich in diesen wüsten Zeiten unsere verfeinerte Musik nicht denken lässt = muss das sujet durchaus als schäfermässig behandelt werden…” ( “Dissonances throughout the opera perhaps unresolved or resolved in a completely different way, since in these wild times our refined music cannot be imagined — the subject must absolutely be treated in a pastoral manner.”)
This reflects Beethoven’s conceptual approach: a pastoral aesthetic, possibly archaic or mythological, with unresolved dissonances to evoke a primitive or stylized musical world.
Beethoven also writes: “Volkgesang” — meaning folk song, intended for men and women. This suggests a choral or ensemble passage, perhaps rustic or communal in character, aligning with the pastoral theme.
New Findings from the Center for Musical Research (July 2026)
These sketches are found in the Scheide Skizzenbuch, on page 52, occupying the entire leaf. In 1815, Ludwig van Beethoven found himself in a moment of transition within his career. He had already completed the greater part of his masterpieces from the middle period (such as the Eroica Symphony and Fidelio) and was beginning to explore more introspective and experimental forms. In that year, he expressed interest in composing a new opera based on the legend of Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome. Gustav Nottebohm, in Zweite Beethoveniana, writes: “At that time Beethoven had two new libretti in his hands, one Romulus by Friedrich Treitschke, the other Bacchus, which he received in March 1815.”
Cultural and Political Climate
Vienna in 1815 was the epicentre of post‑Napoleonic Europe, hosting the Congress of Vienna to redraw the political map of the continent. Beethoven, a convinced supporter of Enlightenment ideals, may have seen in Romulus a symbolic figure—an emblem of foundation, leadership, and civic virtue—at a moment when Europe was reconsidering its future. The fragment known as Biamonti 630 is probably connected to this idea: Beethoven’s stylistic annotations suggest an archaic and pastoral musical treatment, consistent with a mythological subject such as Romulus. The indication of popular choruses (Volkgesang) and “nicht aufgelöst” dissonances reinforces the hypothesis of an opera set in primitive times. This points to a deliberate departure from the refined musical language of his era, aiming instead at something rough and elemental, perhaps to evoke the mythical and foundational nature of Romulus’s story.
From Biamonti – Additional Note III, no. 15: The text of an opera, Bacchus, by Rudolph von Berge, was enthusiastically proposed to Beethoven by his friend Karl Amenda in a letter dated 20 March 1815. Beethoven may even have begun working on it; but according to a report by Karl von Bursy of 1 July 1816, his enthusiasm gradually waned, and the project, like several earlier ones, fell into oblivion (Th.-R., III, 501 and 557–559).
Additional Note III, no. 18: Romulus, opera on a text by Treitschke. It is the subject of several letters from Beethoven to the librettist. The composer declares himself ready to write it and stage it within a few months; but the theatre management did not agree to the proposed conditions. Thus this project too eventually foundered (Th.-R., III 484–485, 514; ILTE no. 559, December 1814 – September 1815). In January 1815 Beethoven contacted Georg Friedrich Treitschke, the librettist who had contributed to the revision of Fidelio, to write the text for Romulus. In a letter from January 1815, Beethoven wrote: “Ich komponiere Romulus! Ich fange in diesen Tagen an.” [I am composing Romulus! I shall begin one of these days.]
And the Leipziger Allgemeine Musik Zeitung of December 1815 reports: “It is said that our ingenious Beethoven is working on a new opera: Romulus, written by Treitschke.” Yet Beethoven does not appear to have begun the composition, for he wrote to Treitschke on 24 September 1815: “I would long ago have begun your Romulus.” The project was conceived as a theatrical opera, but it was never completed. Beethoven initially showed enthusiasm, planning meetings with Treitschke to discuss the structure of the work. However, despite this initial fervour, the project stalled. By September 1815 Beethoven had not yet begun composing, and the correspondence suggests that he was discouraged by the lack of financial support and theatrical interest. Subsequently, Romulus fell into the hands of Fuß, and his Romulus und Remus was performed for the first time on 9 September 1816 in Vienna.
