WoO 81 – Allemanda in A major for piano, first published in the Supplement of the G.A., 1888. G.A. number 307 (series 25/44), Bruers 295, KH (WoO) 81, p. 123, Biamonti 266.

Official title: WoO 81 Bagatelle (Allemande; A-dur) für Klavier AGA 307 = Series 25/44

The original manuscript is part of a folder containing two and a half sheets (six pages) currently held in the Beethovenhaus archive. It was published in facsimile and printed transcription, with an illustrative preface, by A. Schmitz containing the complete sketch of the second Trio for the Scherzo of op. 9 number 1, some sketches by Flohlied and various others that have remained unused, which are reported in the following issues. (see the page dedicated to Schmitz on our website: Arnold Schmitz – Beethoven Unbekannte Skizzen und Entwürfe) From this manuscript it appears that the second part of the Allemande originally differed in its first four bars from the version later accepted as definitive in the GA. The identity of the melodic phrase of the first version will not escape anyone, except for the shift of the rhythmic accent of the first four bars, with the corresponding of the Quartet in A minor op. 132, composed in 1825.

Creation and publication: Composed in 1793, subsequent revisions presumably in 1822 in connection with the preparation for the publication of the Bagatelle op.119. The first edition was published posthumously in 1888 as part of the AGA by Breitkopf & Flärtel in Leizpig. Beethoven used the type of paper to which the sheet with the transcription of the Allemande belongs in 1793 (Johnson/Fischhof, vol. 1, p. 87f). In addition to the sketches for the “Flohlied” op.75 n.3, there are also the sketches for the Quattro Bagatelle WoO 213.

In his request for Beethoven’s compositions dated 18 May 1822, the Leipzig publisher Carl Friedrich Peters mentioned, among other things, “Solosachen für Pianoforte (worunter auch kleinere Werke sein könten)” (BGA 1465). This may have prompted Beethoven to put together a portfolio of about 13 or 14 unpublished piano pieces, which he numbered consecutively (see also Op. 119). WoO 81 was given the “N= 7”, finally corrected to “No. 6” (Cooper/Portfolio p. 211, Cooper/Process p. 265). The revisions recognizable on the sketch sheet must be seen in this context (Cooper/Process p. 268f, Cooper/Portfolio p. 215f; original version Arnold Schmitz – Beethoven Unbekannte Skizzen und Entwürfe). In the final selection chosen for the Bagatelle op.119, WoO 81 (together with other works such as WoO 52, 56 and 59) was not taken into consideration. First execution unknown.

Transcription of the work: D-BNba, BH 114, Bl. Ir. Date: 1793 (Johnson/Fischhof vol. 1 p. 87f), revisions 1822 (Cooper/Process p. 268), which was the model for Gustav Nottebohm’s copy, on the basis of which the first edition was printed. In double folio it also contains the Quattro Bagatelle WoO 213 and the sketches for op. 75 n. 3. The transcription of WoO 81 has often been stated simply as a draft.

Title: “Allemande”, top right “N= 6 [corrected to “7”]”. Extension: a double sheet; 4 pages of musical text Bl. Ir WoO 81, folio lv Sketches for op. 75 No. 3, folio LV and 2V four bagatelles WoO 213, folio 2r unidentified sketches. Paper: horizontal format, 23 x 32 cm, double-spaced.

Provenance: Johann Nepomuk Kafka, Vienna. – William Cart. – Acquired in 1922. Facsimile and transcription: Arnold Schmitz – Beethoven Unbekannte Skizzen und Entwürfe)

Bibliography: Cooper/Portfolio Vol. 2 pp. 208-228. — Cooper/Trial, pp. 263-282. — Johnson/Fischhof, Vol. 1, pp. 83-88. – Schmitz/sketches.