Hess Anhang 8 – Quintet for flute, violin, two violas and cello.
I) Allegro assai – II) Tempo di menuetto, ma molto moderato – III) Allegro vivace
The texts and documents on this page are edited and sourced by Luigi Bellofatto.
This work is a transcription of Beethoven’s Sonata for Piano and Violin, Opus 30 No. 3, published in 1811 under the title:
“Quintetto pour Flûte, Violon, deux Altos et Violoncelle composé par L. van Beethoven Op: 85” Braunschweig, Spehr (“A Brunsvic / au Magazin de Musique de I. P. Spehr / dans la rue: die Höhe.”), VN. 1025.
Authenticity and Attribution
The authenticity of this transcription is highly questionable. In his Beethoven Handbuch (1926), Theodor Frimmel cites Franz Aubell’s article Die Flöte in der Kammermusik (Obersteirische Volkszeitung, Leoben, No. 26, March 5, 1925, p. 4), which suggests that the quintet may be attributable to Beethoven. However, Georg Kinsky, in his 1955 catalogue, explicitly excludes Beethoven’s authorship—though he provides no justification.
Hess omits to mention that Frimmel, in Volume II of his Beethoven Handbuch (Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig, 1926, pp. 47–48), makes a concerted effort to argue in favor of Beethoven’s authorship. Frimmel speculates that one of Beethoven’s brothers may have sent the quintet to Spehr without the composer’s knowledge.
Alternatively, the transcription may have been executed by one of Spehr’s known arrangers, such as J.H.C. Bomhardt or, more plausibly, Franz Anton Hoffmeister—a prolific transcriber who had previously produced works for Spehr.
Publication History
The edition was announced in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung, Intelligenz-Blatt No. VIII, June 1811:
“Beethoven, L.v. Quintetto p. Flûte, Violon 2 Altos et Violoncelle. Op. 85. (G major) 1 Thlr. 6 Gr.”
Later, it was listed in the Thematisches Verzeichniss sämtlicher im Druck erschienenen Werke von Ludwig van Beethoven, published in Leipzig by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1851, alongside other transcriptions of Op. 30. Wilhelm von Lenz also includes it in Volume 3 of his Kritischer Katalog sämtlicher Werke Beethovens mit Analysen derselben (Hamburg: Hoffmann & Campe, 1860), under Opus 85 (Oratorio), where he references this quintet edition.
Rarity and Cataloging Issues
This score is exceedingly rare, with only a few known surviving copies. Its limited print run may reflect the uncertainty surrounding its origin. Furthermore, the opus number assigned—Op. 85—is incorrect. As is well established, Opus 85 properly belongs to Christus am Ölberge (Christ on the Mount of Olives), Beethoven’s oratorio for soloists (soprano, tenor, bass), chorus, and orchestra.
The practice of assigning opus numbers to previously unnumbered works, later superseded by other compositions, is not uncommon. A dedicated study on this subject is currently in preparation.
