Opus 137 Fugue in D major for 2 violins, 2 violas and cello
Allegretto
Opus 137 – Fugue in D major for 2 violins, 2 violas and cello, Op. 137, November 1817; published in Vienna by Haslinger in the autumn of 1827 (full score and separate parts). GA No. 35 (series 5/4) – Bruers 137 – KH 137 – L. IV, p. 308 – Nottebohm 137 – Thayer 213.
An unfinished autograph manuscript is preserved in Vienna, in the archive of the Society of the Friends of Music; another, complete and dated 28 November 1817, is held in the library of the Paris Conservatoire. Not a work of great length, and built on a lively, untroubled theme, it was conceived as an independent piece rather than as part of any larger composition of the same genre. Nevertheless, this fugue also stands as evidence of Beethoven’s inclination, in his mature years, to return to classical forms—though treating them with a certain freedom.
Origin and publication: Probably sketched in Vienna in the autumn of 1817; Beethoven dated the autograph score “28 November 1817”. The original edition in full score and parts was published posthumously in the summer of 1827 by Haslinger in Vienna. (1827, summer. Vienna, Tobias Haslinger, VN / PN 4978 (PN “T. H. 4978”). Title: “FUGE / (in D.) / per / 2 violini 2 viole e violoncello. / Componirt / VON / LUDW: VAN BEETHOVEN. / (il 28 novembre: 1817.) / 137a opera. / Proprietà dell’editore. / [1st:] Nro 4978.)
Beethoven composed Op. 137 as a new contribution to the projected complete edition of his works for Tobias Haslinger. In preparation for this edition, copies were made from the autumn of 1817 onwards. The later collection (Haslinger–Rudolphinische) is now preserved in the archive of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. In a letter probably written towards the end of November 1817, Beethoven mentioned to Haslinger possible corrections: “Schicken sie mir die Fuge auf einige Stunden, ich erinnere mich ein oder 2 mal im schreiben gefehlt zu haben, ohne hernach daran weiter gedacht zu haben — diesen Nachmitt[a]g erhält das A—I [Adjutanterl] alles wieder” (“Send me the fugue for a few hours; I remember having made one or two mistakes in writing, without thinking further about them afterwards — This afternoon the A-l [Adjutanterl] will receive everything back again”). It is possible that the date indicated by Beethoven is not the date on which the composition was completed, but rather the date on which he corrected the manuscript. On the same day he composed the Allegretto for string quartet WoO 210, which has a similar musical character.
Tobias Haslinger published both the original edition and arrangements for piano, for two hands and four hands (the two-hand version will be performed by Emanuele Stracchi). In the Wiener Zeitung of 16 August 1827, Breitkopf & Härtel announced the music as “available” on 19 December 1827.
The original edition includes the metronome marking ♩ = 63, which is unusual and is probably due to an engraving error. According to Gustav Nottebohm, the indication ♩ = 63 was written on the first leaf of the engraving copy made from the autograph, no longer extant (Nottebohm, Beethoveniana, p. 133). It remains unclear whether this was an addition by Haslinger during the preparation of the print, or an addition by Beethoven himself. First performance unknown.
Autographs:
(1) Three variants of 7, 4, and 4 bars: D-B, mus. SM. autogr. Beethoven Grasnick 20b, fol. 13r. Facsimile: SBB / microfilm; transcription: Kurth, Quintetti d’archi, pp. 269ff.
(2) Four bars: “Boldrini” notebook (lost) (JTW pp. 347–350), p. 5. Date: autumn 1817. See Nottebohm, Beethoveniana II, pp. 350f.
2 score: F-Pc (in: Pn), Ms 25. Date: “am 28ten November 1817”. Title: “Fuge / Allegretto”, with “Vien am 28ten November / 1817. / Von Ludwig van Beethowen” at upper right. Four leaves; seven pages of musical text ff. 1r–4r, f. 4v blank. Paper: vertical format, approx. 33.5–34 × 25 cm, 15 staves, two types, pp. 3–4.
3 score, A-Wgm, A 85, probably the engraver’s copy. Date: probably 28 November 1817 (Nottebohm 1868, p. 131), bound in the Haslinger–Rudolphine copy register. According to Gustav Nottebohm, a metronome indication was written on the first leaf (now lost) (Nottebohm, Beethoveniana I, p. 133). Three leaves; five pages of musical text ff. 1r–3r, f. 3v blank. Paper: vertical format, trimmed on all sides, 36 × 26 cm. No printed staves; five staves ruled freehand. Provenance: Old inventory (Vienna / autographs, pp. 10f). Descriptions: Kurth, NGA VI/2 KB, p. 61; Vienna / autographs, p. 163.
