Opus 43 – Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus, ballet by Viganò op. 43, 1800-mid 1801, publication of the Overture in orchestral parts, Leipzig, Hoffmeister and Kühnel, January 1804; of the entire work in reduction for piano, v. no. 289; in the score in the GA., 1864. GA. No. 11 (Series 2/2) – B. 43 – KH. 43 – L. II, p. 230 – N. 43 – T. 79.

The original manuscript has been lost. A copy of the score, revised for the first five numbers by Beethoven, is in the Nationalbibliothek in Vienna.

Returning to the Austrian capital in 1799 after a few years of absence for artistic tours in Germany, Bohemia and Italy that had considerably spread the fame of his choreographic talent, Salvatore Viganò conceived this ballet, which celebrates the Fine Arts, in honor of Empress Maria Theresa, the second wife of Emperor Francis I of Austria, protector of music and good amateur of singing,  to which, moreover, even Beethoven had recently paid homage in his Septet. The choreographic “text” is not known to us; however, we can try to reconstruct it approximately by taking advantage of the information contained in the poster of the first performance, of some indications affixed to the drafts, occasionally reported by Nottebohm and in full by Mikulicz; finally of a description by Carlo Ritorni in his work on Viganò, which, however, we do not know if it refers precisely and in all its details to Beethoven’s representation.

The first performance took place in the Imperial Real Court Theatre. The concert poster posted in the theater, as reported in the Thayer catalogue and repeated by Thayer-Riemann (II, p. 219), announced it in the following way (which we report in Italian translation): Nuovo Balletto Nell’Imperial Real Teatro di Corte presso il Castello degli artisti dell’Opera di Corte Imperiale e Reale oggi, Sabato 26 marzo 1801, eseguito in onore della Signorina Casentini. Il Barbiere del Villaggio Operetta in un atto, dalla commedia omonima. Seguirà (per la prima volta) Le Creature di Prometeo.

Un eroico, allegorico balletto in due atti Inventato ed eseguito dal Signor Salvatore Viganò. Personaggi: Prometeo Sig. Cesari Creature Sig.na Casentini. Sig. Salvatore Viganò Bacco Sig. Ferdinando Gioia. Pane …..Aichinger. Tersicore Sig.ra Brandi Talia Sig.ra Cesari Melpomene Sig.ra Reuth Apollo – Anfione – Arione – Orfeo. Il fondamento di questo allegorico Balletto è la favola di Prometeo.

I filosofi della Grecia spiegano la rappresentazione della favola immaginando Prometeo come un nobile spirito, che, trovati gli uomini del suo tempo in uno stato di ignoranza, li affinò nelle scienze e nelle arti e li ammaestrò nei costumi. Da un tal principio muovendo, si rappresentano in questo balletto due statue che si animano e, per virtù dell’ armonia, divengono suscettibili di tutte le passioni della vita umana.

Prometeo le conduce al Parnaso per farle istruire da Apollo, dio delle belle arti; Apollo ordina ad Anfione, ad Ariane e ad Orfeo di ammaestrarle nella musica, a Melpomene e a Talia di farle consapevoli della tragedia e della commedia, a Tersicore e a Pan di insegnar loro la danza pastorale, di cui essi sono gli inventori, ed a Bacco di insegnar la danza eroica, da lui inventata. La musica è del Signor van Beethoven. Le decorazioni sono del Signor Platter, pittore della Corte Imperiale e Reale e decoratore del teatro di Corte.

Another concert poster, in German and Italian, found by Nottebohm in the archives of the Society of the Friends of Music in Vienna, and published by him in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung of 1869, No. 37, as reported by the Thayer-Riemann (II, p. 220), announces the performance of the ballet under the title: Die Menschen des Prometheus for March 21. Probably these were both the original title and the date (which then, for some contingent reason, had to be moved) originally established for the first performance.

The description of the Returns is as follows: “The Men of Prometheus, or The Power of Music and Dance Pressed by the lightning anger of the Heavens, which gives way to a thunderous musical prelude, Prometheus runs through the forest towards his clay statues. In haste, he brings the celestial torch to their hearts. While exhausted and breathless, he completes the work and falls onto a rock. The statues come to life and movement, and in truth, as they appeared, they become a man and a woman (Salvatore himself and the virtuous Casentini). Prometheus, recovering himself, looks at them with joy, inviting them to him with paternal love. Yet, he cannot awaken any reasoning in them. Indeed, they, letting themselves fall indolently to the ground, seem to turn not to him, but to a tall plant (could this perhaps be a reference to the acorn tree, which was an essential food source for the first men?). He returns to his affectionate gestures and persuasive words, but those who do not possess the best part of humanity—reason—cannot understand him and grow irritated. In their ineptitude, they try to wander further. The Titan, disheartened, attempts threats, but they are of no use. Indignant, he even contemplates destroying his own creation. However, an inner divine voice restrains him, and he returns to his initial affection. With a new plan now formed in his mind, he drags them both, still clutched in his arms, to another place. Act Two is set in Parnassus. Apollo, the Muses, the Graces, Bacchus, and Pan, accompanied by their retinue, Orpheus, Amphion, Arion, and other unborn men—an anachronism introduced—form a beautiful scene at the opening of the stage, showing Apollo’s court. It should be noted that the Choreographer does not want music or dance specifically at this point, so when these elements are later introduced, their new involvement is evident: a wise precaution in such cases! Prometheus enters, presenting his children to the deity, hoping that Apollo will enable them to master the arts and sciences. At the sign of Phoebus, Euterpe, accompanied by Amphion, begins to play. To their melodies, the two youths begin to show signs of reason, reflection, the ability to see the beauties of nature, and to feel human emotions. Arion and Orpheus strengthen the harmony with their lyres, and finally, the deity blesses them. The Candidates move about restlessly, and when they reach Prometheus, they recognise in him the object of their gratitude and love. They bow before him, embracing him warmly. Then, Terpsichore advances with the Graces, and Bacchus, followed by his Bacchantes, leads an heroic dance (more typical of Mars’ followers), in which the children of Prometheus, now unable to resist the temptations of glory, grab weapons and seek to join in. But Melpomene, coming forward at that moment, presents a tragic scene to the astonished youths. With her dagger, she shows how death ends the days of man. Horrified, they turn to their confused father, reproaching him for having brought these poor souls into such calamities. Not thinking it too harsh to punish him with death, she kills him with the dagger, despite the futile attempts of the compassionate children to restrain her. Thalia breaks the mournful atmosphere with a playful scene, placing her mask before the faces of the weeping youths, while Pan, at the head of the Fauns, returns to life the fallen Titan in a comical manner. Thus, the fable ends amidst joyful dances”.

IV. Maestoso. Andante (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings). Prometheus presents the creatures to the court of Apollo. The Maestoso consists of only four bars, introducing the tone. The Andante features a unison staccato pp from the strings, reminiscent of the theme from the Variations Op. 44. In the sketches, there are a few Italian instructions concerning the dramatic scene: Per il complimento prega, ei parla (“He prays for the compliment, and speaks”).

V. Adagio. Andante quasi Allegretto (1 flute, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, harp, strings). Now the Parnassian world presents itself in all its beauty to the astonished creatures. In the Adagio, the woodwind instruments take the lead, together with the harp, which, in Beethoven’s entire musical output, can be said to make no further appearances. The use of the strings is also notable, with their isochronous chord strikes: at first, to create a lighter effect in keeping with the overall mood of the scene, in pizzicato. A brief cello cadenza introduces the Andante quasi Allegretto, for which, despite some material uncertainties, we can still refer to Ritorni: At the signal from Phoebus, Euterpe (who is not named in the theatre programme above), followed by Anfione, begins to play, and to their modulations, the two young ones begin to show signs of reason, reflection, the ability to see the beauties of nature, and feel human emotions. Arion and Orpheus reinforce the harmony with their lutes, and finally, the deity joins them. The melody, sung by the cello, has already been noted in other Beethovenian compositions: Trio Op. 1 No. 3, Trio Op. 9 No. 3; here, it leads to a musical episode of Arcadian sweetness.

VI. Un poco adagio. Allegro (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings). A simple four-bar introduction (Un poco adagio), of which we give the first two. Then, a polonaise movement (Allegro). The scene becomes lively and animated. One might imagine the first lively reactions of Prometheus’s creatures, who, according to Ritorni, begin to show signs of reason… and move about excitedly.

VII. Grave (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings). The movement unfolds based on the initial statement, where the strong rhythmic motif of the strings in unison is answered by the delicate, harmonised melody of the oboes, horns, and bassoons. In these two moments, which seem to merge and then return to their original independence, one can envision—given the lack of other specific details—the commentary on the dramatic event where, according to Ritorni, the two creatures recognise in Prometheus the object of their gratitude and love, prostrating themselves before him, and mingling their affectionate embraces.

VIII. Allegro con brio (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings). The timbral physiognomy and the marked rhythmic accent give this piece a character of vigorous animation; and more than a dance of Terpsichore with her Graces and Bacchus with his Bacchantes, one could think— as Ritorni itself implicitly acknowledges— of a heroic dance more fitting to the retinue of Mars, in which even the two creatures eventually partake.

IX. Adagio. Adagio. Allegro molto (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, strings). These undoubtedly refer to the scene where Melpomene symbolically represents death and then carries out the act of killing Prometheus, as described by Ritorni; and one could associate, in one way or another, the three movements (the second being especially characteristic of recitative) with the dramatic moments of the event.

X. Pastorale (Allegro) (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings). This seems to refer to the scene in which Thalia, in order to break the mourning, playfully places her mask before the faces of the two grieving ones. The woodwinds take a prominent role, with rhythms, figures, and instrumental gestures that will have more widespread and significant use in later compositions, particularly in the Sixth and Seventh Symphonies.

XI. Andante (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings). A brief, bright introduction announces the entrance of another group. The music is marked as Coro di Gioia (“Chorus of Joy”). According to the programme for the performance (see page 287), Ferdinando Gioia was the dancer intended to portray Bacchus. However, for Ritorni, which already discussed Bacchus in the Danse guerrière of No. VIII, it is instead Pan who enters with his retinue here. The contradiction could be explained by a change that occurred after the initial staging.

XII. Maestoso. Adagio. Allegro (same instruments as the previous number). This movement is marked: Solo di Gioja. The first and third episodes (the former strongly rhythmic as a march, the latter more lively and dance-like) frame the central one with melodic grace, featuring a brief flute solo followed by the suspended cadenza of the strings. These must surely refer to the character who entered with his retinue, as seen in the previous number. Perhaps the Adagio comments on the moment when Prometheus, revived, resumes his emotions.

XIII. Allegro comodo (2 flutes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings). The music takes on a light, capricious character, with some humorous nuances (at least in the choreographic intentions). The annotation reads: Terzetto. Grotesque, and in the course of the music, three solos (again, choreographically speaking) appear as a central part, each with its own theme; the second carries the tempo indication Comodo.