WoO 11, 7 Ländlerische Tänze for two violins and bass, piano editing
WoO 11 – Seven Laendlerische Taenze for two violins and bass, piano version, 1797-1798, published in Vienna, Artaria, spring 1799. GA. no. 198 (series 18/16) – B. 168 – H. 27 – KH. (WoO) 11 – L. IV, p. 343/5 – N. p. 150 – P. 90 – T. 95.
They are known today only in the piano version, which, however, must in all probability be derived, as in other cases of the kind, from another original one for two violins and bass, which has been lost. Seven very short pieces: stereotyped Laendler figures, music even more elementary than in other previous compositions of the same genre.
NGA VII/8 AGA 198 | Series 18/16 (piano version: Hess 27) Origin and publication: composed in Vienna between 1796 and the beginning of 1799. The original edition of the piano version was published by Artaria in Vienna in the spring of 1799.
The structure of the piano version published in 1799 and the comparison with the Six Ländler for piano (2 violins and bass) WoO 15 indicate an original version for two violins and bass or for orchestra. This supposedly original version of Beethoven is not documented in writings, letters, or editorial lists. Sketches of dance WoO 11 No. 6 have been preserved, which can be traced back to the years 1796-1798.
A sketch of the coda (WoO 11 no. 7) is preserved in the Miscellanea “Grasnick” (Grasnick 2), which can be dated February/March 1799, probably in connection with the printing of the piano version (Brandenburg / Op.18Nr2 p. 131), which was probably made by Beethoven himself.
Artaria published them under plate number 812, and this indicates the release date as spring 1799, since like the Artaria editions with plate numbers 804-808 (including the WoO 73 series of variations) they appeared on March 2, 1799. After this date, there were no advertisements for several months (see Weinmann/Artaria p. 50f).
Franz Anton Hoffmeister published some of Beethoven’s dances in arrangements for solo flute in Vienna around 1805. In 1806 he delivered most of his Viennese editorial works to Steiner’s chemical printing house in Vienna (from 1815 S.A. Steiner & C Comp.), Steiner reported them in his catalogues with the same publisher (Hoffmeister) and the plate number unchanged (812). In the Steiner catalogue of May 1813 (column 16) the following titles appeared, under the name Beethoven, in reduction for flute:
“6 Allemandes” n. 1 e 2 VN 365 e 366 (= WoO 15 e 11)
“6 Contredances” n. 1 VN 367 (= WoO 14)
“12 Allemandes” n. 1, 2 e 3 VN 373, 376 e 378 (= WoO 8?).
While copies of the three Hoffmeister editions with VN 365-367 are available and their contents have been identified (a more detailed description can be found in Eckhardt/Ungarn on page 24), there is uncertainty about the content that appeared under the title “12 Allemandes” nos. 1, 2 and 3 (VN 373, 376 and 378). According to Weinmann, the “12 Allemandes” are not by Beethoven, but by Wilhelm Klingenbrunner. (Weinmann/Hoffmeister p. 170, 228; Weinmann / Senefelder Vol. 1 p. 41).
However, Weinmanni entrusts his deduction to an anonymous print, which appeared with plate number PN 376, which does not justify identification with Klingenbrunner). Old Kinsky-Halm reports the “12 Allemandes” with reference to Wh I (and with the publisher Steiner) as an arrangement of the 12 dances WoO 8 (KH page 441).
The Seven Ländlerische Tänze WoO 11 are part of the project “Research Becomes Art”
A New Life for the Unknown Works of Ludwig van Beethoven: An Artistic Exploration by Pianist and Professor Antonietta Cappelli
Biamonti 163 – WoO 1, 7 Ländlerische Tänze for two violins and bass, piano editing
A study on sketches
Five Extra Dances, from the Miscellanea Kafka, on the 7 Ländlerische Tänze by L. V. Beethoven.This work is the result of the study of the WoO11 country dances of the Master of Bonn and his manuscripts.
The notes, taken from the Miscellanea Kafka, contain fragments of musical phrases that are very often isolated and difficult to solve. I tried to reconstruct the dances that follow, taking into account the rhythmic, harmonic and formal structure of the “7 Ländlerische Tänze” WoO11.I obtained 5 dances consisting of 2 phrases of 8 bars.
Dance No.1, Formal structure: AABB
Dance No.2, Formal structure: AABA
Dance No.3, Formal structure: AABB
Dance No.4, Formal structure: AABB
Danza No.5 Formal structure: AAB
The beauty of these dances lies in the harmonic and melodic simplicity. The choice of the key of D major demonstrates the jovial character that Beethoven intends to give to bucolic pictures.
In the 7 Ländlerische Tänze there is a continuous interplay between tonic and dominant, which determine its characteristic dancing rhythm. I tried to maintain the same principle even in the 5 dances obtained and I did not want to weigh down the writing.
I tried to respect the chiaroscuro typical of classicism and a simple phrasing. The notes are many and some really difficult to reconstruct. I chose the ones that allowed me to get to the final result, I decided not to change them but to reconstruct a puzzle that made sense.
I looked for beauty in simplicity.
Antonietta Cappelli
First edition: (piano version):
1799 (spring). Wien, Artaria &c Comp., VN/PN 812. – Titel: “7. LändlerischeTänze / für’s Clavier oder Piano-Forte / Componirt von / Herrn Ludw: van Beethoven / In Wienn bey Artaria &, Comp. / [1.:] 812. [r.:] 30. X.” Landscape format. 5 pages (four stave pages, first page with ornamental title, garland threads, open booklet crowned at the top).
Other editions:
- 1802. “In Wienn bey Johann Cappi / [1.:] 812;
- fine 1824. Vienna, Cappi & Co.
- 1803 (autunno). Leipzig, Hoffmeister & Kühnel (Bureau de Musique), PN 278 (Reichsanzeiger 9.11.1803). “VII / Ländlerische Tänze / fürs / Clavier oder Forte-Piano / Componirt von Herrn / LUDW. van BEETHOVEN / Leipzig at Hoffmeister & Kühnel. / (Bureau de Musique)
- 1814. Peters (Wh I). –
- circa 1811. Offenbach, André PN 3023 (Wh I).
- circa 1816. “2d Edition”, PN 3558.
- 1816. London, Clementi & Co. (Catalogue 1816). “Six Dances and thirteen Waltzes”, probably a collective print of the WoO 11 dances together with WoO 10 and 15.
- circa 1823. Berlin, Lischke, PN 1551 (KH incorrectly indicates PN 551)
Antonietta Cappelli