Some time ago, the composer, musicologist, and man of great culture and vast experience in the musical field, Prof. Carlo de Incontrera, contacted us to request information on Beethoven’s works published in Italy, and the website promptly provided the material needed to create this wonderful musical evening.

For our website, the concert could not have begun better, thanks to the presentation by Dr. Elena Turrin of Fazioli, who clearly and professionally illustrated several Italian editions of Beethoven’s works and thanked us (though the honour is truly ours!) for having responded to the invitation. I report her words:

“I must express my sincere thanks to those who provided these title pages and the source of what I am presenting; this is Dr. Bellofatto, who is here with us and whom I warmly thank, having travelled four hours to join us. He is not only a great collector but also one of the curators — together with Armando Orlandi and Graziano Denini — of a very important resource: a website that gathers an immense wealth of information on Beethoven. I am speaking of lvbeethoven.org, which I strongly recommend visiting. You will find a biography approached in an intelligent way through primary sources, images of title pages, manuscripts, printed works, cataloguing information, and articles. It is truly a boundless resource, and I congratulate this team for such vibrant musicology, carried out voluntarily and selflessly — all the more commendable. If we can see these title pages today, it is thanks to this website.”

The performance began with the extremely rare execution of a movement from the Sonata Op. 101, according to the edition published by Ricordi in 1820 for piano and violin, performed by violinist Mauro Loguercio and the young pianist Davide Ranaldi. On our website, in the Articles section, you will find a detailed description of this rare edition, revised by co-author Graziano Denini.

Prof. Carlo de Incontrera then presented his talk with the unusual title: “Oysters, Picolit, Obituaries, Orations, and Other Remembrances from the Outskirts of the Empire”, illustrating in great detail the entourage of Beethoven who lived in Friuli — including the Guicciardi and the Breuning families — and their relationship with the Gossleth, leading up to Beethoven’s biographer Alexander W. Thayer, who spent much of his life in Trieste. The professor’s father, Oscar de Incontrera, was a great scholar of Trieste’s musical and historical life, and it is thanks to him that Thayer’s tomb was restored and preserved.

The evening concluded with a performance by the Trio Metamorphosi — Angelo Pepicelli (piano), Mauro Loguercio (violin), and Francesco Pepicelli (cello) — who performed the Trio in C minor Op. 1 No. 3. An impeccable and resonant performance that delighted the audience, who were further treated to the first movement of the Trio WoO 38, a very lively piece composed by a twenty-year-old Beethoven.

The evening ended with a pleasant gathering, where Beethoven was again the topic of conversation, and Prof. de Incontrera shared numerous anecdotes about Trieste’s musical life over the past forty years. In short, a night of fine music — and the satisfaction for me and for the website did not end there, because a few days later Ing. Fazioli sent us the letter of thanks you see attached. What more can be said? Collaboration and shared knowledge can only lead to exceptional results!

Your correspondent and co-author of the website, Luigi Bellofatto