WoO 179 Seiner Kaiserlichen Hoheit….. Alles Gute
The musical examples on this page are by Graziano Denini.
WoO 179 “Seiner Kaiserlichen Hoheit… Alles Gute”, 1 January 1820, canon for Archduke Rudolph, first published by Nohl in Briefe Beethovens, No. 224, p. 203 (1865). GA No. 265/7 (series 23, p. 187) – Bruers 211 – KH (WoO) 179 – Nottebohm, p. 162/8 – Thayer 221.
The original manuscript is kept in the archive of the Society of the Friends of Music in Vienna. Beethoven extends New Year’s greetings to his friend, pupil, and patron, Archduke Rudolph of Austria. The canon is preceded by a choral acclamation: “Seiner Kaiserlichen Hoheit! Dem Erzherzog Rudolph! Dem geistlichen Fürsten!” and unfolds to the words “Alles Gute! Alles Schöne!”.
This too, like most of Beethoven’s canons, is a canon to be sung in unison.
Rudolf Klein writes in his book on Beethoven’s canons: the canon, whose autograph is owned by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, was “written by his obedient servant l. v. Beethoven on 1 January 1820” and dedicated to Archduke Rudolph, youngest son of Emperor Leopold II; Rudolph was elected cardinal and Archbishop of Olmütz in 1819, which, as is well known, led to the composition of the Missa solemnis intended for him. The congratulatory canon proper is preceded by a simple four-part phrase [in the style of a chorale]. For his part, the archduke attempted to respond with a canon, but eventually abandoned the composition.
Official title: WoO 179 Seiner Kaiserlichen Hoheit! — Alles Gute, alles Schöne Vierstimmiger Satz und Kanon (C-dur) nach eigenen Texten Widmung: -NGA XII/2 AGA 256/7 = Serie 23/S. 187f
Origin and publication: Written as a New Year’s greeting for Archduke Rudolph on 1 January 1820 in Vienna. The first edition appeared posthumously in Ludwig Nohl’s 1865 edition of Beethoven’s letters. The archduke replied to the greeting with a composition of similar form (introduction and canon) to the text „Lieber Beethoven, ich danke für Ihre Wünsche zum neuen Jahre und nehmen Sie auch meine mit Nachsicht an“ (No. 27 in Susan Kagan’s Catalogue of the Compositions of Archduke Rudolph). The autograph of this reply is held in the musical collection of the archiepiscopal palace of Kroměříž (CZ-KRa, A 4376; full copy of the composition in Nettl/Rudolph pp. 98f and Kagan/Rudolph pp. 253–255). For the archduke’s biography see op. 58.
Sources: Lost sketches. Letter in A-Wgm, A 17. Dating: “am lsten jenner 1820”.
Title: dedication leaf, folio 2 recto, bottom right: “di lei / obbediente / serva / 1. v. Beethoven / primo anno 1820.”; folio 2v, bottom left: „Für S. kaiserliche / Hoheit den Erzherzog / Rudolf / von ludwig van / Beethoven.“
2 leaves; folio 1 recto bears the ex libris of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, 2 pages of musical text on folio 1 verso – 2 recto, address on folio 2 verso.
Paper: vertical format, all edges trimmed, 24.5 × 18.5 cm, 4 staves drawn freehand.
Provenance: musical collection of Archduke Rudolph, transferred with the collection in 1834 to A-Wgm. Facsimile: BGA 1362. – Schmidt-Görg/Beethoven p. 194. – Nohl/Letters.
Description: Vienna/Autographs. First edition 1865. In: Nohl/Briefe, p. 203, No. 224 (canon in closed version). Letter receipts: — Literature: Brandenburg/Rudolph p. 172. – Kagan/Rudolph. – Nettl/Rudolph. Indexes: Thayer/1865 No. 221 (p. 138). – Nottebohm/1868 p. 162 (No. 8).
