The Friedrich August Grasnick Collection: Grasnick 1 Sketchbook (1798–1799)

Friedrich August Grasnick (1798–1877) remains one of the most overlooked yet significant 19th-century collectors of Beethoven manuscripts. The son of a Berlin businessman, Grasnick pursued theological studies for several years in both Berlin and Heidelberg. An extant autograph letter suggests he also studied under the Berlin composer Ludwig Berger, though these musical studies were likely informal and amateur in nature. At the time, he was referred to simply as a “Rentier,” a man living off private income.

His collection of musical manuscripts was acquired in 1879 by the Royal Library of Berlin through a certain Professor Vatkc, who may have been either Grasnick’s heir or the executor of his estate. There is no evidence to suggest that Grasnick was a musician of any caliber; rather, he was a passionate collector of composers’ autographs. This is substantiated by the inventory compiled by the library shortly after the acquisition. Although individual items were not described in detail, the list of represented composers is extensive.

Unlike Landsberg, Grasnick did not exhibit an academic interest in pre-19th-century music or theoretical literature. His focus was primarily on the Viennese classics, and in this domain, his collection was both richer and more diverse than that of Landsberg—particularly in regard to Beethoven manuscripts.

The manuscripts in the Grasnick collection are numbered from Grasnick 1 to Grasnick 35, with many entries comprising multiple fascicles. Grasnick owned a substantial number of autograph scores, sketches, and letters. While most pertained to relatively minor works, the collection notably includes the autograph of the Sonata Op. 26 and the second finale of the String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130.

The collection was catalogued chronologically, with an appendix containing isolated sketch leaves and two miscellanies. A selection includes:

• Grasnick 1: Sketchbook from 1798–1799
• Grasnick 2: Sketchbook from 1799
• Grasnick 3: Sketchbook from 1808
• Grasnick 4: Sketchbook from 1824
• Grasnick 5: Sketchbook from 1821
• Grasnick 6: Two sketch leaves for WoO 135
• Grasnick 20a & 20b: Miscellanies of sketches (11 and 24 leaves respectively)
• Grasnick 21: Two leaves from the “Sauer” sketchbook
• Grasnick 24: Two autograph leaves
• Grasnick 32: Five leaves of sketches and studies

A comprehensive analysis of the entire Grasnick collection, including items not listed above, is forthcoming.

It appears that Grasnick acquired most of his Beethoven manuscripts—including sketches—while in Vienna. Grasnick 2, the second finale of Op. 130, and numerous letters originated from the collection of Aloys Fuchs, part of which Grasnick purchased from Fuchs’s widow in 1853. Grasnick had met Fuchs during a visit to Vienna in late 1849, and it was likely Fuchs who introduced him to other private sources in the city.

Grasnick also conducted transactions with Artaria during this period. A manuscript copy of a Handel fugue in Beethoven’s hand (Grasnick 13) bears Artaria’s authentication dated October 29, 1849. It is probable that Grasnick acquired the miscellanies Grasnick 20a and 20b at this time, as both were part of the Artaria collection as early as 1844, the year the Fischhof catalogue was compiled.

However, the majority of Grasnick’s acquisitions did not come from Artaria, but from the family of Tobias Haslinger—presumably during the same 1849 visit. Some autographs of completed works, including the Sonata Op. 26, had previously been traced by Grasnick to Haslinger and were acquired during the renowned Nachlass auction in November 1827.

All Grasnick sketchbooks have suffered damage, mutilation, or theft. There is no evidence that Grasnick himself was responsible for these losses. On the contrary, at least three volumes—Grasnick 2 and the miscellanies Grasnick 20a and 20b—match the descriptions provided by Fuchs and Artaria prior to Grasnick’s acquisition. In the case of Grasnick 1, the removal of a complete block of eight leaves at the beginning of the volume was almost certainly the work of Haslinger. A recently identified fragment from one of those leaves bears an inscription naming Haslinger as the source.

The damage to Grasnick 3, 4, and 5 may have occurred at any time, given Haslinger’s treatment of Grasnick 1. Some leaves may have been removed and dispersed even during Beethoven’s lifetime, prior to 1827.

The Allegro from Grasnick 1 is part of the project Research Becomes Art: A New Life for the Unknown Works of Ludwig van Beethoven, an artistic exploration by pianist Maestro Emanuele Stracchi.