Beethoven and the flute

Just nothing, no, come on

There are the Variations for piano and flute op. 107 no. 7 and op. 107 no. 3, the Serenade op. 41 for piano and flute, the Sonata for flute and piano in B-flat major and the Trio WoO 37 for piano, flute and bassoon.

I have a curiosity, is the Sonata for flute and piano in B-flat major truly by Beethoven?

Hello everyone!

The reference model is the website; there you can find the list of compositions that B. dedicated to the flute. Before Magic Dan illustrates for you the letter in which Our Man wrote about the flute "c'est vraiment trop imparfait pour...." (which would warrant a digression on the mechanics of late 18th-century flutes), I will save you the search on the site (although it would be very instructive) and give you the list of works with solo flute:

Opus 25 - Serenade in D major, for flute, violin and viola, 1795-1796, published in Vienna, Cappi, spring 1802.

Opus 41 - Serenade in D major for piano and flute, from the Serenade for flute, violin and viola, opus 25, summer 1803

Opus 105 - Varied themes (6) for piano with accompaniment of flute or violin at pleasure ("ad libitum"), op. 105, 1817-1818

Opus 107 - Varied themes (10) for piano with accompaniment of flute or violin at pleasure, op. 107, 1817-1818.

WoO 26 - Duet in G major (Allegro and minuet) for two flutes, dedicated to the friend J. M. Degenhardt, August 23, 1792

WoO 37 Trio in G major for harpsichord, flute and bassoon, 1786-1790.

WoO Anhang 4 - Sonata, in B-flat major, for piano and flute - 1790. (is it authentic??? well!).

Hess 13 - Romanza cantabile (unfinished) in E minor, for harpsichord, flute and bassoon, with accompaniment of 2 oboes and string orchestra, 1792-1793

Hess Anhang 8 - Quintet for flute, violin, two violas and cello. (It is a transcription of the sonata for piano and violin Opus 30 number 3, published by I.P. Spehr, Braunschweig, 1811. Authenticity very doubtful).

Biamonti Nota Aggiunta II 64. Trio in G major for three flutes (Allegro - Andante, Rondo - Allegretto). Held in a copy of Czechoslovakian provenance by Prof. Pierre Rampal of Paris and recorded on the Vox Turnabout 4059 disc. It would be an early work by Beethoven. Its authenticity is not, as far as we know, proven.

Then there is also one of the very last letters, the letter to Diabelli of September 26, 1824, in which Beethoven promised to deliver to him, possibly within 6 weeks, a quintet; in another letter from the same month, perhaps slightly later, he speaks again of a quintet with flute.

Finally, here is a beautiful Sketch of an andante for flute, bassoon and string orchestra in G major. Kessler Notebook, folio 87 verso, lines 1 - 12. (which you can likewise find on the site)

http://www.lvbeethov...te-Kessler.html

I would say I have forgotten very little....

A greeting to all!

Ok, it's official. I am stratospherically ignorant about the subject.

I really didn't think there were all these works by Beethoven dedicated to the flute.

Stradivari wrote:

Ok, it's official. I am stratospherically ignorant about the subject.

I really didn't think there were all these works by Beethoven dedicated to the flute.

No, it's not true at all that you are so ignorant.

In reality, apart from Opus 25 which may have some relevance, they are all minor works, precisely because Beethoven, as you said, had no sympathy for the flute, an instrument that at the time was quite limited compared to his musical ideas.

Take into consideration also that even Opus 41 was transcribed by another hand and only revised by Beethoven, and many of those listed above are not by Beethoven, as Armando has already pointed out.

The only one, among those doubtful ones, that could truly be by the composer from Bonn is Anhang 4.

The most beautiful? For me, without a doubt, it is Hess 13, which however, as far as I know, dates back to 1787:

Open content (youtube)

On the site, I also recommend you take a look at this beautiful performance by my friends Graziano and Roberta: (forgive me for mentioning myself): "After the excellent study recently carried out by Egon Voss on the 'Neue Beethoven Studien' volume 9, edited by the Beethoven-Haus of Bonn, Carus Verlag, 2011, here are two valiant musicians who have decided to undertake a definitive study of the three duets. They are Graziano Denini, cello, and Roberta Piras, flute. The choice of flute - cello is not idle, as it is a contemporary alternative. 'Alternative' might even be an exaggerated word: the three duets (as Egon Voss points out) were released simultaneously in different instrumental shades: clarinet and bassoon, violin and cello, flute and bassoon, and indeed flute and cello. Here are these duets, offered in WP on the site. Thank you both for the splendid interpretation, but, if I may, a special round of applause to Graziano for the excellent revision of the three duets; it was a long work of 'restoration' that brought the three scores back to their original splendor. Currently (January 17, 2013) we have the first and second duets available. Following is the third and final one. http://www.lvbeethoven.it/Opere/Beethoven-Midi-Mp3-MusicaCamera-Fiati.html#WoO027"