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XXV) Beethoven’s Transcriptions from Sulzer’s Allgemeine Theorie der schönen Künste

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Ludwig van Beethoven – Transcriptions from Johann Georg Sulzer

List of transcriptions and studies that Beethoven made of the works of Johann Georg Sulzer (1720–1779)

Johann Georg Sulzer (Winterthur 1720 – Berlin 1779). German philosopher and scientist. As a young student in Zurich, he intended to become a Protestant pastor, but in 1734 he preferred to accept a position as tutor in Magdeburg. He developed a love for mathematics and physics; in 1752 he theorized that metal particles could initiate a vibration capable of stimulating human senses, especially taste. In a previous experiment, he had placed his tongue in contact with two minerals so that saliva would act as an electrolytic conductor; the experiment is still in use today and known as the tongue test on a battery.

Sulzer’s fame grew so much that by 1747 he became a mathematics teacher at a gymnasium in Berlin and a member of the Berlin Academy of Sciences (1750). In 1775 he was appointed director of the Academy’s philosophical activities. Philosophically, he was a follower of Christian Wolff and Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten. From 1771 to 1774 he worked on what would become his most important work: the Allgemeine Theorie der schönen Künste, a lexicon that is actually a manual of aesthetic philosophy. In this work, he reaffirmed the concept that art’s purpose is to cheer and improve mankind—a notion drawn heavily from Enlightenment and psychology. Sulzer was also a good friend of Johann Caspar Lavater, the father of physiognomy. (Biography taken from Wikipedia)

The copy Beethoven made from the Allgemeine Theorie der schönen Künste (Leipzig edition, 1792) includes the article “Recitative” (by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz), which in this passage discusses works by Carl Heinrich Graun (Kramer / Graun).

The manuscript is located in D-BNba, Slg. H.C. Bodmer. HCB BSk 11/59. Date: 1802–1804.

Between 1802 and 1804, in preparation for his oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives and the opera Fidelio, Beethoven extensively studied text setting, declamation, and the musical complications associated with them. To explore the best solutions and artistic rules, Beethoven took “practical lessons” from his colleagues. His transcriptions of Mozart’s works are well known and documented on our site. But the composer also engaged with the writings of the great music theorists of his time.

On this double sheet, Beethoven transcribed passages from an encyclopedia article: musical examples and notes on “recitative” from Sulzer’s Allgemeine Theorie der schönen Künste. The practical-musical part of this article was written by composer and music theorist Johann Abraham Peter Schulz, who selected numerous examples from Carl Heinrich Graun to illustrate the rules. Beethoven carefully transcribed these musical examples and annotated them. At times, he took notes directly from the article’s text, adding his own comments.

Treatise of Harmony and Composition – Part Three – Chapter 13

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Treaty of Harmony and Composition – Part Three

CHAPTER XIII – NOTES ON THE COMPOSITION OF SONG
Range of the Voices

Words are pronounced with difficulty on notes that are too low or too high; the medium is more convenient, because the voices there possess all their strength. The soprano has ordinarily, within the extent of two octaves, three registers:
the first contains four chest‑notes, from C to F.

In the second, which contains nine notes. The change of register generally takes place between F and G.

The third register contains the head‑notes, such as:

And so on. The voice is taken beyond these limits in the cavities of the nose and forehead, and there it has, so to speak, no further limits. Some female singers reach the octave above high C: this kind of voice is called soprano acuto.

The chest‑voice of the tenor extends from C to G. The higher notes belong to the head‑voice. The merit of a well‑trained singer consists in passing imperceptibly from one register to another.

OF RECITATIVE

Recitative must be declaimed as if it were spoken. It is a discourse sometimes hurried, sometimes slowed down, according to the passionate expression required by the words.The comma, semicolon, colon, full stop, question mark and exclamation mark each require a different accent.

If the sense of the words is hurried, the pause is suppressed.

Il punto è espresso, anche quando il periodo essendo terminato, si continua nullameno a parlare sullo stesso soggetto. Ripigliandosene un altro, s’ impiega l’ accento del punto finale.

The full stop is expressed even when, the period being finished, one nevertheless continues to speak on the same subject.
When another subject is taken up, the accent of the final full stop is employed.

The question mark is expressed differently according to the nature of the discourse.

Exclamation mark.

No dissonance must be resolved before the sense is completely finished. For repose, long notes are used; for movement, short notes.

Instead of this, write thus:

and:

The following recitative phrases are bad.

Short and violent phrases.

Harmony for sad and melancholy effects.

The voices ascend or descend according as the feelings gain or lose strength.

Espressione della sorpresa e della gioia.

Expression of surprise and joy. The effect is more vivid when the melody ascends or descends with the harmony.

The repetition of words gives greater force to the expression.

Effect of contrast.

The final ending is made with a perfect cadence.

Terminazione di un periodo che ne attende un altro.

Ending of a period that awaits another. The same thing by means of a half‑cadence.

Half‑cadence for an urgent expression.

For passions that calm down:

Ending for a man: perform as follows.

Cadenza per una sortita di donna: essa dev’ essere cantata così.

Cadence for a woman’s exit: it must be sung thus. Interrogative phrases.

It must be noted that in recitative there are words on which one leans, and the accent may fall on a noun, a verb, a pronoun, an adverb, etc. Questions that are at the same time exclamations are better expressed with a leap.

To compose a recitative well, it is useful to declaim the poetry oneself, as an intelligent actor would do. He whose powers are not sufficient for this task must not be ashamed to have recourse to others.

Page taken from: Louis van Beethoven’s Studies in Thorough-Bass, Counterpoint and the Art of Scientific Composition, Collected from the autograph posthumous manuscripts of the great composer, and first published, together with biographical notices, by Ignatius von Seyfried. Translated and edited by Henry Hugh Pierson (Edgar Mannsfeldt). With Beethoven’s portrait, and other illustrative plates. Schuberth and Co. Leipzig, Hamburgh and New‑York. 1853.

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