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A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Tenth Symphony, Beethoven's

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3915195A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — Tenth Symphony, Beethoven'sGeorge GroveGeorge Grove


​TENTH SYMPHONY, BEETHOVEN'S. In Beethoven's (dictated) letter to Moscheles acknowledging the £100 sent by the Philharmonic Society, and dated Vienna, March 18, 1827, eight days before his death, there occur the words 'A Symphony completely sketched is lying in my desk, as well as a new Overture and other things.' This therefore was the 'Tenth Symphony.' It should however be remarked that a large part of the letter containing the words quoted is struck through with the pen. Two days afterwards, says Schindler (ii. 142), 'he was greatly excited, desired to have the sketches for the Tenth Symphony again brought to him, and said much to me on the plan of the work. He intended it absolutely for the Philharmonic Society.' Some sketches—whether those alluded to or not—were printed in the 1st no. of Hirschbach's 'Musikalisch-kritisches Repertorium.' for Jan. 1844, with an introduction which we translate:—

'From Beethoven's sketch-books. Herr Schindler on his return from Berlin to Aix la Chapelle, not only showed many very remarkable relics of Beethoven to his friends at Leipzig, but has been good enough to allow us to publish some of them in this periodical. The following are some of the existing sketches of the Tenth Symphony and of an Overture on the name of Bach,[1] all belonging to the summer months of the year 1824, and in the order in which they were noted down.

'From the sketches for the Tenth Symphony:—[2]

{ \relative g' { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 3/4 \key c \minor \stemDown \override Score.Rest #'style = #'classical \override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #'#(#f #f #f) g4^\markup \small { "Scherzo." \italic Presto. } g g | c2. | b4 b b | d2. | ees4 ees ees | g f ees | d ees c | d r r | g, g g | c2. | b b b | d2. | d4 d d | \stemNeutral %end line 1 d c bes | a g fis | g r r | bes' bes bes | << { c,2. | aes'4 aes aes | bes,2. | g'4 g g } \\ { e, e e | f2. | d4 d d | ees2. } >> g'4 f ees | d c b | c s2_"etc." \bar "" \once \hideNotes c2. \bar "" \once \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 2/2 \mark \markup \small "Trio" \partial 2 \key c \major << { c,2 | b a } \\ { c b a } >> | %end line 2 \stemDown g2 g' | a b | c c | d e | f4 f8 f e4 e8 e | d4 s_"etc." } }


{ \relative a'' { \time 6/8 \override Score.Clef #'stencil = ##f a4.^\markup \small "Finale of the first piece." ~ a8 f e ~ | e d a' ~ a g f ~ | f e a ~ a g f | e e e b4. | a8 a a a4. | b4 \time 6/8 \partial 8 g,8 | a''4. ~ a8 g f | f e a ~ a g f | f e a ~ a g f } }


{ \relative e'' { \time 2/4 \partial 4 \override Score.Clef #'stencil = ##f \stemDown e4^\markup \small "Andante. A flat." | b8 b b b | a4 b | a[ g a c] | e2 | c\fermata_"Ferma." } }


Some further scraps of information have been kindly furnished by Mr. Thayer. 'Carl Holz told Otto Jahn that there was an Introduction to the Tenth Symphony in E♭ major, a soft piece; then a powerful Allegro in C minor. These were complete in Beethoven's head, and had been played to Holz on the piano.' Considering that the date of Beethoven's death was 1827, nearly three years after the summer of 1824, and considering also Beethoven's habit of copious sketching at works which were in his head, it is almost impossible but that more sketches than the trifles quoted above exist in some of the sketch-books. And though Nottebohm is unhappily no more, some successor to him will doubtless be found to decypher and place these before us.

[ G. ]


  1. ↑ Possibly for the overture mentioned above. These are omitted in the present reprint.
  2. ↑ We have no clue as to which of the words attached to the sketches are Beethoven's, and which Schindler's.
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