These two songs, a Trio and a Quartet, are not part of those studied by Julia Ronge, but we nevertheless find them catalogued together with the other thirteen in the Werke ohne Opuszahl section of the Beethovenhaus. The manuscripts do not exist; a copy not in Beethoven’s hand is found in Berlin at the State Library, manuscript Mus. Ms. 1248, together with a version of the Trio and the Quartet based on the text “Fra tutte le pene”, and the Quartet on “Giura il nocchier”. The text is taken from La Pesca by Metastasio.

On a page preceding the manuscript we find an indication written in fine calligraphy listing all these five songs according to the Thayer catalogue, with progressive numbers from 26 to 30; the note also informs us that the Italian a cappella songs written by Beethoven should be as many as 32. Naturally, since these two pieces are rewritten in fair copy, we cannot know whether there were corrections or rewritings by Beethoven, nor can we know how many and which corrections by Salieri may have existed; we will therefore follow the indications of Hess and place these two songs among the last exercises written by Beethoven during Salieri’s lessons.

“Già la notte s’avvicina” – Trio According to Willy Hess: “Seiner musikalischen Reife und Schönheit nach zu schließen, muß es zu den am spätesten komponierten Stücken gehören” (“Judging by its musical maturity and beauty, it must be one of the latest pieces composed.”).

A peculiarity: contrary to almost all the songs commented so far, the main melody of this Trio is not written for Soprano but for the Contralto voice; perhaps Beethoven wished to create a darker vocal ensemble in order to simulate the night that is approaching?