WoO 12 Minuets for orchestra
WoO 12 – 12 Minuets for orchestra, November 1799, published by Chantavoine, Paris, ediz. Heugel del Ménestrel: 1903 (in piano reduction), 1906 (in score with the addition of a viola part and here and there some instrumental passages and harmonic and melodic modifications); in a score faithful to the original by W. Hess, Kassel, Nagels Verlag, 1955 and in the fourth installment of the Supplemente zur GA., 1961. B. 344 (only nos. 3, 9, 11, based on Cat. T.) -H. 2 – KH. (WoO)12 – P. 120 – T. 290 (limited to nos. 3, 9, 11).
The original manuscript is unknown. The orchestral parts (copies), discovered in 1872 in the archives of the “Kunstler-Pensions-Institut” by R. von Perger, then passed to the Österreichische National Bibliothek in Vienna, where they are still preserved together with the score made by Perger himself. On the first page of the bass page is written in the copyist’s hand: “From Mr. Louis de Beethoven, 1799.” A copy of the score of nos. 3, 9, 6, 11, formerly preserved in the Preussische Staatsbibliothek and currently in the library of the University of Tübingen, is cited by cat. Thayer, who moreover gives the beginning of no. 11 starting from the fifth bar. There are two copies of the score of number 1, one preserved in the British Museum (formerly attributed to Mozart and claimed by Beethoven by De Saint Foix), the other in the archives of the society of the Friends of Music in Vienna. Like other series of minuets already mentioned, these were also intended for the masked ball party of the Society of Artists of the Figurative Arts, in the small hall of the Vienna Ridotto, on November 24, 1799; but it seems that Joseph Lipawsky’s Twelve Minuets were preferred to them. The form is the normal one in two parts and Trio. The orchestra of the first, third, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh and twelfth minuet consists of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, first violin, second violin and, in a single line, cellos and double basses. The piccolo flute, bass drum and cymbals are added to the Trio of the ninth. The orchestra of the latter lacks clarinets, trumpets and timpani; that of the fourth, eighth and tenth of the trumpets and timpani.
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WoO 12 is part of the “Research Becomes Art” project.
A New Life for the Unknown Works of Ludwig van Beethoven: An Artistic Exploration by the pianist Professor Antonietta Cappelli
Postscript. The twelve minuets are currently attributed to Beethoven’s brother Kaspar Karl, who probably composed them in the autumn of 1799 in Vienna. The first editions appeared under the name of Ludwig van Beethoven and were published by Heugel in Paris in 1903 (in piano reduction) and in 1906 (complete score). I nos. 1, 3, 9 and 11 have survived in manuscripts attributed to Kaspar Karl van Beethoven (no. 1: GB-Lbl, Add. Ms. 31750; nos. 3, 9, 11: D-B, Mus. ms. autogr. Beethoven Artaria 139; identification of authorship through comparison of 1978 manuscripts, Kojima/Karl van Beethoven page 83). A complete set of handwritten parts for all minuets was discovered in 1872 by Anton Ritter von Perger, custodian of the Wiener Hofbibliothek, in the Archiv der Pensionsgesellschaft bildender Künstler (A-Wn, Ms. 16925; copyist). The name “Carlo” on the frontispiece of the bass part has been erased – probably by the discoverer – and replaced by the first name “Luigi” (Kojima page 312f). The material is dated “1799” and may have been intended for the masquerade ball organized by the Pensionsgesellschaft bildender Künstler itself on November 24 of that year. Perger suspected that minuets, such as WoO 7 and 8, had been composed by Ludwig van Beethoven for the annual masquerade ball organized by this society. Otto Erich Deutsch proved that Beethoven’s minuets were not played at the masquerade ball of 1799 but rather dance compositions by Anton Teyber (1756-1822) and Count Wilhelm Adolf Lichnowsky (1767-1837) were played in the great Redoutensaal.
We can only speculate why the twelve minuets were not performed. Perhaps the decisive factor was that, unlike the Redouten 1795 and 1797, these minuets were not compositions by the well-known Ludwig van Beethoven (Kojima/KarlvanBeethoven p. 101). The score of the minuet WoO 12 No. 1 was mistakenly included in the Köchel register in 1905 and attributed to Mozart (KV2 No. 25a; KV3 Anh. 293a). After the 1903 and 1906 editions of the twelve minuets published by Heugel in Paris by Jean Chantavoine that appeared as compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven (and which are the performance source of Professor Antonietta Cappelli), Otto Erich Deutsch already had doubts about their authenticity in 1952: “After all, a spurious Mozart piece need not be genuine Beethoven” (Deutsch/Kozeluch p. 279). To date, no printed musical works by Kaspar Karl van Beethoven have been documented either in Wh I or in the catalogues of Beethoven’s great collections. In contrast to this discovery there are three identical advertisements in the Wiener Zeitung of 11, 15 and 18 January 1800. According to these catalogues – clearly distinct from the works of his brother “Louis van Beethoven” – there existed “ganz neu zu haben” published by E A. Hoffmeister in Vienna of “Carl van Beethoven” “6 Menuette, 6 Deutsche und 6 Contretänze” for piano and for two violins and cello. It is not possible to determine the extent to which the names were confused (see WoO 16) and whether the works were only available in manuscript form or whether the entire proposal was withdrawn for some reason.
Piano reduction: 1903. Paris, Heugel & Cie, PN “H. & Clc 21339[—21350]”. – “BEETHOVEN / (Posthumous Works) / TWELVE / Minuets / Unpublished / Copyright by Heugel and C’c 1903.” — Title: “LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN / POSTHUMOUS WORKS / TWELVE / MINUETS / UNPUBLISHED / FOR ORCHESTRA / Piano Reduction by / Jean Chantavoine / Net price / The Piano Collection 2 hands … 3 fr. /
