SKU: A0.1038395

Throughout his career, Beethoven made dozens of concept sketches for many movements of symphonies, besides those for the completed nine compositions of that genre. In the period 1812-1816, mainly during the composition of the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies, there were three recurring such projected works in his sketchbooks, namely in D minor, E minor and E flat major respectively, and remarkably with sketches for more than one of their movements. The present symphony in late Classical style is based on those projects, making use of all their themes in a „combined� symphony in D minor and thus with peculiar tonal relationships. The incentive for this new work in the Classical idiom was in the quality and potential of some of the sketches, especially the one included now in the main theme of the slow movement. Some of the sketched material was subject to transpositions and adaptations to fit the formal outlook, and to editorial choices for the unclear pitches and durations. This publication includes the score and parts. The sketchbook sources for each passage are mentioned at the bottom of the score. Total duration: 36 min. Performing Rights Organization: SOCAN. The mp3 recording is the third, slow movement.

SKU: A0.1415801

Score and parts of a premiere realization of some of Beethoven's sketches for the first movement of another Symphony in C major before the First, dubbed 'No. 0' or Unv. 2 by some: 1. 'Overture' (Andante con moto - Allegro con brio), 2. Tempo di menuetto. Useful for people interested in Beethoven's sketches and for students of the Classical style.
In 1794-1796, Beethoven made extensive concept sketches mostly for the first movement of this abortive symphony. The material is abundant and sometimes contradictory, as usual with his preliminary work, and he recycled later from this one only the main theme of the Finale of the completed Symphony No. 1.

For this speculative realization, suggested by Mr. Armando Orlandi at the Centro Ricerche Musicali and dedicated to them, only the more promising sketches were utilized, and the slow introduction was assembled from the ones in cut time, while those in triple time make up now a Minuet. Virtually every bar of music here includes the sketches, also in the elaboration and coda of the 'overture', only with a few transpositions needed for assembling the sonata form and for the repeats in the Minuet.

Obviously, Beethoven would have done it much differently, had he decided to continue working on this symphony, and the question remains regarding the utility of recycling material abandoned by some classical composer. However, this gives one an approximate idea of one of the many possibilities implied by the preliminary sketches for his Symphony 'No. 0'.
Total duration 15 minutes. The mp3 audio clip is the first movement. Performing Rights Organization: SOCAN.