WoO 93 – Nei giorni tuoi felici, duet for soprano, tenor, and orchestra, late 1802 – early 1803.
Published by W. Hess in Leipzig (Eulenburg, 1939: pocket score, full score, and vocal score), and in Wiesbaden (Breitkopf & Härtel, full score), in the second instalment of the Supplemente zur Gesamtausgabe, 1960.

The original manuscript, formerly held in the Preußische Staatsbibliothek, is now preserved in the library archive of the University of Tübingen.
Numerous sketches are found in the Wielhorsky sketchbook.

This work is linked—at least chronologically—to the rather extensive series of Italian vocal compositions on texts by Metastasio, written by Beethoven intermittently during the period of his “apprenticeship” with Salieri, from 1792 to 1802. This group includes, in addition to the Italian Songs, the completed sketch of another scena: No, non turbarti for soprano and orchestra; the briefly outlined aria E pur fra le tempeste for tenor and orchestra; and the scena Primo amore, piacer del cielo.

However, unlike those works, Nei giorni tuoi felici was included by Beethoven—along with several other mostly youthful compositions—in a list submitted to the publisher Steiner in 1822. The negotiations came to nothing; the manuscript remained in Beethoven’s possession, and after his death, it was included among the papers auctioned on 5 November 1827.
Purchased by the publisher Artaria, it later passed to H. Prieger, and eventually to the Preußische Staatsbibliothek, where it was rediscovered by W. Hess in the winter of 1929–1930.

The first performance took place under the direction of W. Hess in Winterthur, on 10 February 1939. The work was published by Hess as mentioned above, completed by him in its various, though brief, instrumental lacunae, as well as in tempo and expression markings. It was later republished by Fishman in the edition of the Wielhorsky sketchbook. The text is taken from the duet between Megacle and Aristea, Act I, Scene X of Metastasio’s L’Olimpiade.

The orchestration includes 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, and strings.

In the Adagio, the contrasted emotional distress of the two characters (the jealous woman and the man who knows he must sacrifice her to his friend) emerges through a tender yet expressive melodic dialogue. The urgency of the Allegro invites comparison—on an expressive level—with the final section of the aria Ah, perfido!.

It would also be of interest to compare this duet with Paisiello’s setting of the same text, preserved in manuscript at the library of the Naples Conservatory.

 [By Biamonti Giovanni – Catalogo cronologico e tematico delle opere di Beethoven comprese quelle inedite e gli abbozzi non utilizzati, Torino, ILTE 1968]