Biamonti 631 – Sketches of Instrumental Compositions, circa 1815.

On page 53 of the notebook, as noted by Nottebohm (II, p. 348), Biamonti collects all the fragments from page 40 of the Scheide sketchbook, following the indications provided in Nottebohm’s Zweite Beethoveniana. No musical quotation is supplied.

The first fragment, located on the opening staff of page 40, is in A major and written in 4/4 time. It consists of only five measures and unfolds through an ascending E major scale followed by a descending D major scale. The second fragment, spanning staves one through four, is in C major, also in 4/4 time, and comprises merely four measures. It presents a brief contrapuntal dialogue between the right and left hands, suggesting Beethoven’s interest in textural interplay even in miniature forms.

The third fragment, positioned midway through staves three and four immediately after the previous fragment, is a simple composition in B minor and 3/4 time. Its character resembles more a contrapuntal exercise than a complete piece. The fourth fragment, extending across staves five to eight, is likewise in B minor and, with fourteen measures, constitutes the longest section on the page. This fragment is built on imitative counterpoint between bass and soprano, in which the two voices chase one another, alternating descending scales with ascending arpeggios. Beethoven leaves this section without a concluding bar, and aside from the indication “h moll” (B minor) at the beginning, the remainder of the text is largely illegible.

Of particular interest is the fifth fragment, which consists of a study of arpeggios for the left hand, accompanied by chords in the right. Although marked in 3/4 time, the harmonic changes consistently occur midway through the second beat, revealing Beethoven’s experimental approach to rhythm and articulation in his sketches.