Biamonti 771 – Sketch for a Third Mass in C-sharp minor, late February 1823

This sketch appears in a conversation notebook from late February 1823 (ILTE notebook, page 1016). It may be connected to the project for a third Mass, which Beethoven ultimately did not compose. Supporting this hypothesis is a note reported by Nottebohm in the third of the three notebooks referenced under number 759 in this catalog:

“Das Kyrie in der Neuen Messe mit blasenden Instrumenten u. Orgel” (“The Kyrie in the new Mass with wind instruments and organ”). Other sketches possibly related to the same Mass are discussed under number 795 of this catalog. Like Biamonti 770, this sketch is found in Conversation Notebook No. 25 (according to the Staatsbibliothek Berlin numbering), or No. 24 (according to the original numbering on the notebook cover), which spans February 22 to March 2, 1823. The sketch appears specifically on folio 42 verso.

It is written in pencil and in very messy handwriting—difficult to transcribe. Schünemann produced a very accurate transcription, which served as the basis for our own revised version.