WoO 187 Schwenke dich, Canon
The musical examples on this page are by Graziano Denini.
WoO 187 “Schwenke dich”, Canon for Schwencke, 17 November 1824, published in the seventh issue of the periodical Caecilia (Mainz, Schott), April 1825. G.A. No. 256/11 (series 23/194), – B. 215 – KH. (WoO) 187 – Nottebohm, p. 162 – Thayer 245.
The original manuscript is unknown. A copy by L. Sonnleithner, with the annotation “Canon for Mr. Schwencke of Hamburg”, written on 17 November 1824, is preserved in the archive of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Carl Schwencke of Hamburg, a composer and, as a young man, an excellent pianist, had visited Beethoven. In this canon, the master plays with the meaning of the words “Schwenken” (to turn) and “Schwank” (joke): “Schwenke dich, ohne Schwänke” (Turn without joking).
[By Biamonti Giovanni – Catalogo cronologico e tematico delle opere di Beethoven comprese quelle inedite e gli abbozzi non utilizzati, Torino, ILTE 1968]
Official title: WoO 187 Schwenke dich ohne Schwänke! Kanon (F-dur) nach einem eigenen Text Widmung: Carl Schwenke NGAXII/2 AGA 156/11 = Serie 23/S. 194f
Origin and Publication: Written in November 1824 in Vienna. The original edition appeared in April 1825 in the Caecilia journal in Mainz. The pianist and composer Carl Schwenke (1797-1870) had written to Beethoven before October 1822, requesting a small musical souvenir (BGA 1500). Beethoven fulfilled his request during his visit to Vienna in November 1824. Schwenke recorded the date of this visit as 12 November 1824 in his Erinnerungen, and the copy of the Canon by Joseph Sonnleithner is annotated “Geschrieben am 17. Nov. 1824” (Written on 17 November 1824). Schwenke describes the genesis of the Canon as follows: „Er [Beethoven] nahm mich sehr freundlich auf und sobald ich ihm meinen Namen genannt, erinnerte er sich des Briefes, den ich ihm vor einigen Jahren geschrieben und – daß er mir die Antwort darauf noch schulde. Nach meiner Versicherung, daß ich nach Wien gekommen, um sie zu holen, versprach er mir ein Manuskript und setzt hinzu, daß er mir auch sonst, wo er könne, mit Freuden dienen werde.“ (Schwencke/Erinnerungen, p. 52). On 22 January 1825, Beethoven sent the two canons, WoO 180 and 187, to B. Schotts Söhne for publication, and also included a “Romantische Lebensbeschreibung des Tobias Haslinger allhier in drei Theilen” (BGA 1915). Schott, presumably without Beethoven’s knowledge, published this “biography” with humorous intent, alongside the two canons, which appeared in Caecilia in a slightly altered form.
Sketches: GB-Lbl, 29997, p. 23f (Kerman/Sketchbooks p. 95). Contrary to Sieghard Brandenburg’s hypothesis, there are no sketches for WoO 187 on the Ms 53 sketch sheet preserved in the F-Pn (Brandenburg/Op.127 p. 240, note 31). Clean manuscript (closed Canon): private collection. Engraving model for the original edition (also WoO 180 on the same sheet). One sheet; text on recto, blank on verso. Paper: horizontal format, 7 lines. Provenance: Anton Schindler, and from him to his grand-niece Wilhelmine Rau, Mannheim. — Reinhold Zimmerman. — Venator, Cologne (auction catalog XV/XVI, 15-18 September 1956, no. 708). — Sotheby’s, London (auction 6 December 1991, lot 3). Facsimile: according to BGA 1925. Descriptions: Venator catalog 15-18.9.1956, no. 708. — Sotheby’s catalog 12.6.1991, lot 3. Correction for sub-point text in measures 3 and 4: D-MZs, Hs III 71, No. 10 (BGA 1927, 26 January 1825). A copy by Joseph Sonnleithner titled “Canon für Hrn. Schwenke aus Hamburg. Geschrieben 17. Nov. 1824” is preserved in A-Wgm (BGA 1500 note 3). Original edition 1825 (April). “Auf einen welcher Schwenke geheis[s]en.” In: “Kanons / nebst Erwähnung ihrer Veranlassung / von / Ludwig van Beethoven,” in Caecilia 2 (1825), p. 205s. WoO 187 on p. 206, alongside WoO 180. Further edition in 1908. In: Kalischer/Briefe Vol. 5 pp. 69-74 No. 1038 (open Canon, score). Bibliography: BGA 1500, 1925, 1927. Literature: Schwencke/Erinnerungen p. 52f. Indexes: Thayer/1865 no. 245 (p. 153). — Nottebohm/1868 p. 162 (no. 12).
Catalogued by Giovanni Biamonti under number 792. November 1824. Dedicated to Carl Schwenke. The pianist and composer Carl [Karl] Schwencke was born in Hamburg on 7 March 1797 and probably died in Nussdorf on 7 January 1870. He lived in Sweden for several periods starting in 1816, spending most of his time in Stockholm, where he also taught piano. In 1833, he was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
Rudolf Klein developed this Canon for 4 voices, whereas Beethoven composed it for only two. I personally prefer the original two-voice version, but for completeness, I have also included the four-voice version on this page. Additionally, Klein makes an error in the text, repeating the word “Schwänke” throughout the third measure, while Beethoven clearly writes “ohne Schwänke.” In the fourth measure, since the final “Schwänke” would be missing, I have chosen to follow Klein’s approach.
It was published, alongside “Hoffmann, Hoffmann” WoO 180, on 17 November 1824 in the Cäcilia journal of Schott Sohne in Mainz, preceded by a humorous commentary on Tobias Haslinger, written by Beethoven himself. The correct title, according to Beethoven’s own notes, should be: “Auf einen welcher Schwenke geheis[s]en.” Below is the text of the article that appeared in Caecilia, along with its translation.
Kanons nebst
Erwähnung ihrer Veranlassung von
Ludwig van Beethoven
Mit Vergnügen übergebe ich hier der Cäcilia und ihrem Lesern einige Kanons, die ich als Beilagen einer humoristisch-romantischen Lebensbeschreibung des hiesigen Herrn Tobias Hasslinger geschrieben, welche, in dreiTheilen, nächstens erscheinen soll. Im ersten Theile findet sich Tobias als Gehülfe des berühmten sattelfesten Capellmeisters Fux, und hält die Leiter zu dessen Gradus ad Parnassum. Da er nun zu Schwänken aufgelegt, so bewirkt er, durch Rütteln und Schütteln der Leiter, dass Mancher, der schon ziemlich emporgestiegen, jählings den Hals bricht, u. cdgl. – Nun empfiehlt er sich unserm Erdenklumpen, und kommt, im zweiten Theil, zu den Zeiten Albrechsbergers wieder ans Tageslicht. Die schon vorhandene Fuxische “nota cambiata” wird nun gemeinschaftlich mit Albrechsberger behandelt, die Wechselnoten aufs äusserste auseinandergesetzt, die Kunst musickalische Gerippe zu erschaffen, wird aufs Höchste getrieben, u. s. w. –
Tobias spinnt sich dann neuerdings als Raupe ein, und entwickelt sich im dritten Theil, um zum drittenmal auf dieser Welt zu erscheinen. Die kaum erwachsenen Flügel eilen dem Paternostergässchen zu, er wird paternostergässlerischer Capellmeister. Die Schule der Wechselnoten durchgegangen, behält er davon nichts als die Wechsel, wird Mitgleid mehrerer geleerter Vereine, u. s. sw.
Doch hier nur die Kanons:
Canons, together with a mention of their origin by Ludwig van Beethoven
With pleasure, I here present to Cäcilia and its readers a few canons, which I have written as supplements to a humorous-romantic biography of the local Mr. Tobias Haslinger, which, in three parts, will be published shortly. In the first part, Tobias is introduced as the assistant to the famous, steadfast master of the chapel, Fux, and holds the ladder to his Gradus ad Parnassum. Now, as Tobias is prone to pranks, he causes, by shaking and rattling the ladder, that many who have already ascended quite high suddenly break their necks, and so on. – He now takes leave of our earthly clump and, in the second part, reappears in the times of Albrechtsberger. The already existing Fuxian nota cambiata is now treated jointly with Albrechtsberger, the altered notes are taken to their extremes, the art of creating musical skeletons is carried to its utmost heights, and so on.
Tobias then again spins himself into a cocoon, and in the third part, he develops in order to appear for the third time in this world. His barely developed wings rush towards the Paternostergässchen, and he becomes a Paternostergässler master of the chapel. Having gone through the school of altered notes, he retains nothing but the alterations, becomes a member of several learned societies, and so on.
But here, only the canons:
