Hess 306 – “Wie Silber” Canon is a work attributed to Ludwig van Beethoven, though it is considered either lost or possibly never existed. The only known reference appears in: Albert Leitzmann, Beethovens Persönlichkeit. Urteile der Zeitgenossen, Insel-Verlag, Leipzig, 1914, vol. II, p. 222. Ludwig Misch, Pseudokanons und Rätsekanons von Beethoven, in Die Musikforschung, vol. 3, issue 3/4, 1950, p. 225. The canon was reportedly written around 1815 for the Giannatasio del Rio family, a well-known Viennese household with whom Beethoven had close ties. However, no manuscript survives today.

Possible Identification with WoO 168: Some scholars suggest that Hess 306 might be the same as one of the canons listed under WoO 168, due to the striking similarity in text. The line cited by Leitzmann reads: “Wie Silber die Rede, doch zu rechter Zeit schweigen ist lauteres Geld.” (“Speech is like silver, but silence at the right time is pure gold.”)

This matches almost verbatim the text of WoO 168/1, titled Das Schweigen (“Silence”), which reads: “Lerne schweigen” (“Learn to be silent”). The resemblance suggests that Fanny Giannatasio del Rio, who recalled the canon years later, may have misquoted or conflated it with another.

Historical Context: The Giannatasio del Rio Family. Beethoven had a close relationship with the Giannatasio family, especially with Fanny, who later wrote memoirs about him. He gave music lessons to her and maintained correspondence with the family. Several small vocal works and canons were composed for them, often humorous or moralistic in tone.

Canons as Musical Aphorisms: Beethoven frequently used canons to express witty, philosophical, or teasing remarks. These short pieces were often written in albums, letters, or guestbooks, and served as musical epigrams. The phrase “Wie Silber…” fits this tradition perfectly.

Research Insights: The canon is not included in the Gesamtausgabe (Complete Works) of the 19th century. It was catalogued by Willy Hess as number 306 in his supplement of Beethoven’s unpublished or lost works. The Centro Ricerche Musicali Beethoveniane (C.R.M.B.) lists it as “lost or nonexistent,” but acknowledges its possible identification with WoO 168. Scholars such as James F. Green and Lewis Lockwood have emphasized the importance of Beethoven’s canons as windows into his private life and personality, even when the music itself is minimal or fragmentary.

Whether Hess 306 is a distinct lost work or simply a misremembered version of WoO 168, it reflects Beethoven’s fondness for embedding wisdom and humor into miniature musical forms. The proverb-like text—“Speech is silver, silence is golden”—echoes a timeless moral sentiment, and Beethoven’s choice to set it as a canon suggests he valued its layered meaning.