Opus 105 – Six Varied Themes for Piano with Flute or Violin Accompaniment (“ad libitum”)
Opus 105 – 6 Varied Themes for Piano with Optional Flute or Violin Accompaniment (“ad libitum”), Op. 105, 1817–1818, published in London by Preston (editor Thomson, Edinburgh), July 1819; German edition, Vienna, Artaria, September 1819. GA no. 113 and 114 (series 14/2 and 3) – B. 105 – KH. 105 – L. IV, p. 29 – No. 105 – T. 217.
The original manuscript is held at the British Museum. This work is comparatively modest in scope and elaboration compared to Beethoven’s other numerous sets of variations. I. Scottish Air (Andantino quasi Allegretto); II. Scottish Air (Allegretto scherzoso); III. Austrian Air (Andante espressivo assai); IV. Scottish Air (Allegretto spiritoso); V. Scottish Air (Allegretto piuttosto vivace); VI. Aria scozzese ( Allegretto piuttosto vivace).
[By Biamonti Giovanni – Catalogo cronologico e tematico delle opere di Beethoven comprese quelle inedite e gli abbozzi non utilizzati, Torino, ILTE 1968]
Official title: Opus 105 Variationen über Volkslieder für Klavier und Querflöte oder Violine ad libitum Widmung: -NGA V/4 AGA 113-114 = Serie 14/2-3
Composition and publication: Beethoven composed five of the six variations between July and November 1818. Number 3 was composed later, at the beginning of 1819, at the request of George Thomson. The original English edition of the score (which also included three variations from Op. 107) was published by Thomas Preston in London and George Thomson in Edinburgh in May 1819. The original Viennese edition in parts followed in September of the same year, published by Artaria.
The Scottish amateur musician and publisher George Thomson (1757–1851), who had been in contact with Beethoven since 1803 for arrangements of folk songs (see Op. 108) and other projects, requested in the summer of 1817 that the composer write a set of variations on themes from folk songs: “Vous Choiserez 12 des Airs de differentes nations, – ceux qui vous paroitront le mieux adaptes pour être variés: et si vous composez des Variations (non plus que huit) à chaque Air, pour le Piano Forte d ‘un stile gradevole, et pas trop difficile, je vous payerai 72 ducati. II vous sera un travail très leger de faire quelques Variations pour 12 Themes deja componés. Je voudrois que la dernière Variation, ou une Coda de chaque Air, ou de quelques us des Airs, Fût dans le style d une Valse” (BGA 1133, 25 June 1817)
Beethoven then made Thomson an offer for 100 ducats (BGA 1244) in February 1818, and on 22 June of that year Thomson commissioned the works under the following conditions: „Je voudrois, selon l’avis de mon Correspondant ä Londres, que vous choisissiez les Themes d’entre les Airs Ecossais que vous avez harmonises pour moi; à deux ou trois pres, lequels vous prendrez d’entre les Airs du Tyrol si eiles vous paroitront agreables et bien adapte pour des Themes. – On voudrait aussi pour toutes les Themes un Accomp. de Flute ad libitum, s’il vous plait – Et on voudroit que vous ecrivisiez les Variations d’un Style familier et facile et un peu brillant: afin que les plus grand nombre de nos Demoisselles puissent les executer et les goûter. II me faut une examplaire ecrite proprement et distinctement pour le graveur (BGA 1262)“
Beethoven followed these guidelines and had to begin composing without delay, as Thomson was able to confirm the arrival of the twelve cycles of variations on 28 December 1818 (BGA 1275).
At the same time, he sent a letter to the Viennese bank Fries with a publication certificate that he had already issued on 18 November 1818. At a later, undocumented moment, Beethoven signed it with the certification of two witnesses, thus confirming receipt of 140 ducats „for composing Variations for the Pianoforte upon twelve Themas of national Airs with an accompaniment for the Flutes“. In the aforementioned letter of 28 December 1818 and in another dated 8 January 1819 (BGA 1283), Thomson rejected three of the pieces and requested replacements. Beethoven submitted them to the Fries bank in Vienna on 20 February 1819, from where the pieces were forwarded to Thomson. The post-composed pieces were Op. 105 No. 3 and Op. 107 Nos. 6 and 7.
For Beethoven, Op. 105 No. 3 actually dates back to a project from 1816, as suggested by a letter to Sigmund Anton Steiner in Vienna: „Für diesen Augenblick schicke man mir das lied „ein schüßerl u. a reinder’l ich brauche es“ (BGA 1024). The idea of composing such variations had already been proposed to Beethoven by the publisher Robert Birchall in August 1816, but Birchall specifically wanted variations on „englische schottische oder irrländische Lieder“ (BGA 958). It is therefore more likely that in 1816 Beethoven intended to include the Austrian song „A Schüsserl und a Reinderl“ in his arrangements of continental songs (WoO 158) for Thomson. Thomson’s plan to publish the twelve variations he had commissioned in a coherent and unified edition was ultimately unsuccessful in both the English- and German-speaking regions.
The themes:
Number 1: „The Cottage Maid,“ a Welsh folk song, see WoO 155 No. 3.
Number 2: „Of Noble Race was Shenkin,“ a Welsh folk song, see Fellinger/Periodica, p. 56.
Number 3: „A Schüsserl und a Reinderl,“ a song from the comedy Die Kaufmannsbude performed in 1796, attributed to Johann Baptist Henneberg (also published under the name „Sterkel,“ see Dorfmüller/Volkslieder).
Number 4: „Sad and Luckless Was the Season,“ an Irish folk song, see WoO 153 No. 6.
Number 5: „Put Round the Bright Wine,“ an Irish folk song, see WoO 153 No. 42.
Number 6: „English Bulls“ (Oh, Have You Not Heard, Pat), an Irish folk song, see WoO 152 No. 12.
The sketches will be featured in an article specially created for the Beethovenian Music Research Center, www.lvbeethoven.org
