Hess 327 – Two Small Pleasant Melodies in A Minor and C Major
I) in A minor – II) in C major
Hess 327 – Two Small Pleasant Melodies in A Minor and C Major
Historical Context: Source: Found on page 97 of the Eroica Sketchbook (Landsberg 6), a collection of Beethoven’s sketches from 1803. Cataloging: Listed as Hess 327 in the supplementary catalog of Beethoven’s works compiled by Willy Hess. Mislabeling: Although originally described as being in A minor and C major, both melodies are actually in A minor, as confirmed by analysis.
Musical Structure
| Melody | Time Signature | Length | Structure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 3/8 | 8 bars | 4+4 | Simple, folk-like phrasing |
| II | 2/4 | 12 bars | 6+6 with repeat | Begins similarly to the first, suggesting a development |
- Notation Detail: In measure 9 of the second melody, the absence of a sharp on G is intentional. Beethoven had already indicated the sharp two measures earlier, implying its continuation.
- Stylistic Note: The melodies resemble folk tunes, as noted by Gustav Nottebohm in his 1880 study of Beethoven’s sketchbooks.
Scholarly Insights: Nottebohm’s Commentary: He observed that these melodies appear “among the opera sketches” and seem to be “apparently folk melodies.” Lockwood & Gosman’s Transcription: In their edition of Beethoven’s Eroica Sketchbook, they differ slightly in measure 8 of the second melody, where they notate a B instead of an A. Graziano Denini, who curated the musical examples, argues for the A to preserve the folk-like symmetry.
Audio Interpretations, Curated by Graziano Denini, the page includes: Original and reinterpreted versions of both melodies. Piano arrangements. Comparative versions based on different scholarly transcriptions.
They are found on page 97, staves 13–15, of the Landsberg 6 Sketchbook, otherwise known as the Eroica Skizzenbuch. Both are in A minor: the first is 8 bars long, in 3/8 time, with the classic 4+4 structure; the second, in 2/4 time, is 12 bars long (6+6) with a repeat, and its first part closely resembles the previous melody—so much so that it suggests a possible development of it.
It is worth noting the absence of a sharp on the G in measure 9; this is not a mistake by Beethoven but an implied continuation, since the sharp was already indicated two measures earlier.
Nottebohm writes in his book Ein Skizzenbuch von Beethoven aus dem Jahre 1803, in which he analyzes the entire Landsberg 6 Sketchbook: “Zwischen den Arbeiten zu den Opernstücken erscheinen: (Seite 97) einige hübsche Melodien [followed by transcriptions of the two melodies] dem Anschein nach Volksmelodien;” [“Among the work on the opera pieces appear: (page 97) some charming melodies, apparently folk tunes;”]
