Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Beethoven portrait by Carl Arnold Gonzenbach
painted by Carl Arnold Gonzenbach
17.12.1770
Born in Bonn, son of a baronial chapel singer and alcoholic
1775
Lessons in violin and piano from his father
1778
First public concert
1780
Lessons from the vice court organist Neefe
1781
Asistant organist of the court chapell and education from Christian Gottlieb Neefe
1783
Cembalist of the court chapel
1784
Second court organist
1786
Trio for piano, flute and bassoon probably for the comital family Westerholt
1787
Journey to Vienna and audition for Mozart, who thought he would become famous. Beethoven has to return to Bonn, due to a serious of his mother, who shortly afterwards dies. No time for lessons from Mozart.
23.08.1792
For his flute playing friend Degenhart Beethoven composes the flute duet Allegro and Menuett as farewell present before leaving for Vienna to take lessons with Haydn
1794
Due to the incompatibility of teacher and student, the lessons are not fruitful and end as soon as Haydn travels to England. Beethoven continues learning with Albrechtsberger and Salieri.
1795
First performances as pianist and composer in Vienna. First hearing problems. Serenade op. 25
1796
Concert tour to Prague, Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden makes him famous
1800
Premiere of first symphony in Vienna
1801
Origin of the only drafts of the Serenade op. 25 for flute, violine and viola
06.10.1802
Heiligenstädter testament as a response to progressive deafness
1803
An edition of the Serenade is published as op. 41 for flute or violin and piano
1808
He declines an employment as band master at the court in Kassel, because three aristocratic patrons provide him with a good salary.
1811
Trip to Teplitz and encounter with Goethe
1814
Due to complete deafness stop of public performances and failure of his patron´s payings.
1815
The death of his brother is the beginning of a fight regarding the custody rights of his nephew
1818
From this year on, Beethoven communicates through notebooks
1825
Is visited in Baden near Vienna by Kuhlau
26.03.1827
Dies in Vienna
13.10.1863
Exhumation of the bones and reconstruction of the collapsed scull
21.06.1888
Exhumation and move to another grave at the New Vienna central cemetery

Sheet music for flute:

Allegro und Menuett (G-Dur)
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(2 flutes)
Zimmermann, ZM 1040
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Allegro con brio
  2. Minuetto quasi Allegretto
two scores
Beethoven wrote this for a good friend before leaving Bonn to move to Vienna.
Drei Duos WoO 27
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(clarinet (flute (oboe (violin))), bassoon (cello))
Edition Breitkopf, 8069
Rating: difficult
  1. Duo 1: Allegro commodo - Rondo Allegretto
  2. Duo 2: Allegro affettuoso - Aria Larghetto - Rondo Allegretto moderato
  3. Duo 3: Allegro sostenuto - Aria con variazioni
Parts and score, based on a complete edition of 1864.
Absolutely beautiful and not easy to play. Both instrumentations, with bassoon or cello, are equally fine.
Probably written around 1792, when Beethoven was still in Bonn.
Drei Stücke nach Kompositionen für ein mechanisches Laufwerk (C-Dur) (Bearbeitung)
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(4 flutes)
Zimmermann, ZM 2751
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Adagio
  2. Allegro
  3. Allegro
Three parts and a score from which the fourth flute plays.
Duo Nr. 1 WoO 27 (C-Dur) (Bearbeitung)
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(flute, horn in F)
Robert Ostermeyer Musikedition, ROM 7
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Allegro commodo
  2. Larghetto sostenuto
  3. Rondo Allegretto
Only parts.
Romanze op. 50 (F-Dur) (Bearbeitung)
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(flute, piano)
Ricordi, Sy. 2390
Rating: difficult
  1. Adagio cantabile
The transcription of the violin romance for flute was done by Theobald Böhm. The solo part was nearly completely left the same.
Sechs variierte Themen Op. 105
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(flute, piano)
Edition Musica Budapest, Z. 5798
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Air ecossais
  2. Air ecossais
  3. Air autrichien
  4. Air ecossais
  5. Air ecossais
  6. Air ecossais
Composed in 1817/18 for piano and a flute or violin ad lib.
Septett op. 20 (Es-Dur) (Bearbeitung)
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(flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn)
Simrock Original Edition, EE5370
Rating: difficult
  1. Adagio - Allegro
  2. Adagio cantabile
  3. Allegro molto vivace - Poco meno mosso
  4. Lento
Parts and score
There are lengths in this. Reducing this music to only five woodwinds makes it loose something. It´s a pity.
Serenade op. 25 (D-Dur)
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(flute, violin, viola)
G. Henle Verlag, 300
Rating: difficult
  1. Entrata Allegro
  2. Tempo ordinario d'un Menuetto
  3. Allegro molto
  4. Andante con Variazioni
  5. Allegro scherzando e vivace
  6. Allegro vivace e disinvolto
One of my absolute alltime favourites of the whole literature for flute. Witty, melodic and just beautiful. Also available in an edition for flute and piano approved by Beethoven himself
Was probably written in 1795 or 1796. The first edition was published in Vienna in 1802.
Serenade op. 41 (D-Dur)
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(flute (violin), piano)
G. Henle Verlag, HN 301
Rating: difficult
  1. Entrata - Allegro
  2. Tempo ordinatio d'un Metnuetto
  3. Allegro molto
  4. Andante con Variazioni
  5. Allegro scherzando e vivace
  6. Allegro vivace e disinvolto
Originally for flute, violine and viola. This is an edition for flute and piano. And it is an absolute lovely piece of music.
The edition for flute and piano was first published in 1803 having an opus number of itself. Beethoven himself had a look on the transcription.
Sonate (B-Dur)
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(flute, piano)
Zimmermann, ZM 1910
Rating: easy
  1. Allegro
  2. Polonoise
  3. Thema mit Variationen
Three Duets (Bearbeitung)
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(flute (oboe (violin)), clarinet in H flat)
Southern Music Company, SS824
Rating: mid-grade
  1. 1st Duet (Allegro commodo - Larghetto sostenuto - Rondo Allegretto vivace)
  2. 2nd Duet (Allegro affettuoso - Aria Larghetto - Rondo Allegretto moderato)
  3. 3rd Duet (Allegro sostenuto - Aria con Variazioni)
Originally for clarinet and bassoon. The music is beautiful and even in this adaptation. The poor clarinetist has to play the deep part although the flute part is originally for clarinet (somehow confuses you see).
Trio op. 87 (C-Dur) (Bearbeitung)
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(flute (oboe), clarinet, bassoon)
Musica Rara, MR2156
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Allegro
  2. Adagio
  3. Menuetto (allegro molto) Scherzo
  4. Finale (Presto)
Parts and score. Edition of a work for two oboes and english horn. Sounds fine in this instrumentation and is fun to play.
Variationen - über das Thema La ci darem la mano WoO. 29 (G-Dur)
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(3 flutes (2 flutes (alto flute)))
Zimmermann, ZM 23080
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Thema + 8 Variationen
Probably written in 1795, originally for two oboes and two english horns.
Parts and score. The third part is separatly printed for alto flute, if you play it with a C-flute, you have to read from the score.
Sounds nice in this instrumentation, too.
Variationen über Reich mir die Hand mein Leben (Bearbeitung)
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(flute, clarinet, bassoon)
Thomi-Berg, TB 940
Rating: difficult
Very nice, but there is no score.
Variationen über Reich mir die Hand, mein Leben WoO 28 (C-Dur) (Bearbeitung)
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(flute, violin, viola)
Bärenreiter, Ba 6881
Rating: mid-grade
Originally for two oboes and english horn, composed in 1796/97.
Score and parts.
Zehn variierte Themen - Heft III op. 107 (F-Dur)
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(flute (violin), piano)
Edition Breitkopf, 5647
Rating: easy
  1. Air Tirolien + 3 Variationen
  2. Air Ecossais + 4 Variationen

CDs with/from Ludwig van Beethoven

Eric Le Sage, Emmanuel Pahud
Beethoven - Schubert - Weber (2002)
jpc
Naive
    Ludwig van Beethoven: Serenade op. 41:
  1. Entrata - Allegro (03:16:00)
  2. Tempo ordinario d'un Menuetto (05:09:00)
  3. Allegro molto (02:04:00)
  4. Andante con variatzioni (06:21:00)
  5. Allegro scherzando e vivace (01:52:00)
  6. Adagio (01:37:00)
  7. Allegro vivace e desinvolto (03:31:00)
    8. Franz Schubert: Introduktion et Varations D. 802:
  8. Introduktion (02:46:00)
  9. Thema (01:55:00)
  10. Variation I (01:38:00)
  11. Variation II (01:43:00)
  12. Variation III (02:16:00)
  13. Variation IV (01:38:00)
  14. Variation V (01:59:00)
  15. Variation VI (03:02:00)
  16. Variation VII (03:01:00)
    17. Carl Maria von Weber: Sonate 1:
  17. Allegro (02:18:00)
  18. Romanza larghetto (01:24:00)
  19. Rondo Amabile (02:19:00)
    20. Carl Maria von Weber: Sonate 2:
  20. Carattere Espagnolo - Moderato (02:27:00)
  21. Adagio (01:21:00)
  22. Rondo, air Polonais - Allegro (01:49:00)
    23. Carl Maria von Weber: Sonate 3:
  23. Air Russe - Allegro moderato (02:08:00)
  24. Presto (02:43:00)
    25. Carl Maria von Weber: Sonate 4:
  25. Moderato (02:27:00)
  26. Rondo vivace (01:47:00)
    27. Carl Maria von Weber: Sonate 5:
  27. Thema dell'opera Silvana Andante con moto (03:30:00)
  28. Finale Siciliano - Allegretto (00:00:02)
    29. Carl Maria von Weber: Sonate 6:
  29. Alelgro con fuoco (02:49:00)
  30. Largo (04:35:00)
Robert Morris Aitken, Mendelssohn-Ensemble
Beethoven Serenaden op. 8 und op. 25 (1989)
Fono Schallplatten GmbH
    Serenade D-Dur op. 8:
  1. Marcia. Allegro (01:10:00)
  2. Adagio (05:36:00)
  3. Menuetto. Allegretto (02:22:00)
  4. Adagio-Scherzo (Allegro molto) - Adagio - Allegro molto - Adagio (05:30:00)
  5. Allegretto alla Polacca (03:14:00)
  6. Andante quasi Allegretto attacca (08:42:00)
  7. Marcia. Allegro (01:12:00)
    8. Serenade D-Dur op. 25:
  8. Entrata. Allegro (03:27:00)
  9. Tempo ordinario d´un Menuetto (05:13:00)
  10. Allegro molto (02:09:00)
  11. Andante con variazioni (06:30:00)
  12. Allegro scherzando e vivace (01:24:00)
  13. Adagio - Allegro vivace e disinvolto (05:10:00)
Quintessenz, Günter Schoßböck
Bonsoir (2003)
jpc
Audiomax
  1. Ernesto Köhler: Vergißmeinnicht (02:54:00)
  2. Johann Strauß: Unter Donner und Blitz (03:00:00)
  3. Joachim Andersen: Albumblatt (03:39:00)
  4. Paul Lincke: Verschmähte Liebe (07:24:00)
  5. Hans Christian Lumbye: Traumbilder (07:30:00)
  6. Franz Schubert: Machre Militaire op. 51 (02:14:00)
  7. Ludwig van Beethoven: Die Wuth über den verlornen Groschen ausgetobt in einer Caprize (05:11:00)
  8. Ernesto Köhler: Salonpièce op. 29 (03:08:00)
  9. Carl Maria von Weber: Der Freischütz (07:50:00)
  10. Albert Franz Doppler: Rigoletto Fantasy op. 38 (00:00:10)
James Galway, Phillip Moll, Paul Neubauer, Joseph Swensen
James Galway plays Beethoven (1990)
RCA
    Serenade op. 25:
  1. Entrata - Allegro (03:24:00)
  2. Tempo ordinario d'un Minuetto (05:06:00)
  3. Allegro molto (02:12:00)
  4. Andante con variazioni  (06:34:00)
  5. Allegro scherzando e vivace (01:59:00)
  6. Adagio; Allegro vivace disinvolto (05:29:00)
    7. Sonate B-Dur:
  7. Allegro moderato (09:20:00)
  8. Polonaise (04:00:00)
  9. Largo (04:25:00)
  10. Allegrett molto (06:09:00)
    11. Serenade op. 8:
  11. Marcia (02:09:00)
  12. Adagio (04:48:00)
  13. Menuetto - Allegretto (02:01:00)
  14. Polonaise - Allegretto alla Polacca (02:13:00)
  15. Tema con variazioni - Andante (04:57:00)
Aufgenommen 1987 und 1988 in New York, London und Polling. Die Serenade op. 8, im Original für Streichtrio, erklingt hier in der Bearbeitung von Theobald Böhm
Kazunori Seo
Ludwig van Beethoven (2018)
Works for Flute - 1
jpc
Naxos
    Duo No. 1 in C-Dur für Flöte und Fagott, WoO 27:
  1. Allegro comodo (07:36:00)
  2. Larghetto sostenuto (02:19:00)
  3. Duo No. 1 in C-Dur für Flöte und Fagott, WoO 27 (03:43:00)
    4. Duo No. 2 in F-Dur für Flöte und Fagott, WoO 27:
  4. Allegro affettuoso (07:59:00)
  5. Duo No. 2 in F-Dur für Flöte und Fagott, WoO 27 (02:03:00)
  6. Duo No. 2 in F-Dur für Flöte und Fagott, WoO 27 (02:59:00)
    7. Duo No. 3 in B-Dur für Flöte und Fagott, WoO 27:
  7. Allegro sostenuto (08:48:00)
  8. Duo No. 3 in B-Dur für Flöte und Fagott, WoO 27 (06:23:00)
    9. Duo in G-Dur für zwei Flöten, WoO 26:
  9. Allegro con brio (02:35:00)
  10. Menuetto quasi allegretto (02:32:00)
    11. Serenade in D-Dur für Flöte, violine und Viola, op. 25:
  11. Entrata - Allegro (03:36:00)
  12. Tempo ordinario d un menuetto (05:25:00)
  13. Allegro molto (02:09:00)
  14. Andante con Variazioni (06:25:00)
  15. Allegro scherzando e vivace (01:48:00)
  16. Adagio - Allegro vivace e disinvolto (05:21:00)
Bruno Canino, Severino Gazzelloni, Donato Renzetti, RTSI Orchestra - Orchestra della Radiotelevisione
Severino Gazzelloni - Flute (1993)
Vivaldi Händel Marcello Beethoven Varese Petrassi Fukushima
Ermitage
    Antonio Vivaldi: Flute Concerto in G major Op. 10 No. 4 P.104:
  1. Allegro (02:23:00)
  2. Largo (02:55:00)
  3. Allegro (01:58:00)
    4. Antonio Vivaldi: Flute Concerto in F major Op. 10 No. 5 P. 262:
  4. Allegro non molto (03:56:00)
  5. Largo cantabile (03:08:00)
  6. Allegro (01:32:00)
    7. Benedetto Marcello: Sonata in F major for flute and b.c. Op. 2 No. 1:
  7. Adagio (02:30:00)
  8. Allegro (01:46:00)
  9. Largo (01:12:00)
  10. Allegro vivo (01:17:00)
    11. Georg Friedrich Händel: Sonata in C major for Flute and b.c. Op. 1 No. 7:
  11. Larghetto (02:51:00)
  12. Allegro (02:12:00)
  13. Larghetto (02:22:00)
  14. A tempo di Gavotti (01:20:00)
  15. Allegro (01:26:00)
    16. Ludwig van Beethoven: Serenade in D major for Flute and Piano Op. 41:
  16. Entrata (Allegro) (05:06:00)
  17. Tempo die ordinario di Minuetto (03:42:00)
  18. Molto allegro (02:04:00)
  19. Andante con variazioni (05:45:00)
  20. Allegro scherzando e vivace (01:51:00)
  21. Adagio (01:40:00)
  22. Allegro vivace e disinvolto (03:37:00)
  23. Edgar Varèse: Density 21.5 for solo flute (04:00:00)
  24. Kazuo Fukushima: Ekagra for Flute and Piano (07:02:00)
  25. Goffredo Petrassi: Souffle for flute (09:03:00)
Eric Le Sage, Les Vents Français
Winds & Piano (3 CD) (2014)
jpc
Warner Classics
    Francis Poulenc: Sextett FP100:
  1. Allegro vivace (07:18:00)
  2. Divertissement - Andantino (04:12:00)
  3. Finale - Prestissimo (05:21:00)
    4. Louise Farrenc: Sextet op. 40:
  4. Allegro (11:28:00)
  5. Andante sostenuto (05:29:00)
  6. Allegro vivace (06:26:00)
  7. Albert Roussel: Divertissement op. 6 (06:33:00)
    8. André Caplet: Quintet:
  8. Allegro brillamente (07:57:00)
  9. Adagio (06:15:00)
  10. Scherzo (04:01:00)
  11. Finale - Allegro con fuoco (07:24:00)
    12. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Quintet KV 452:
  12. Largo - Allegro moderato (10:16:00)
  13. Larghetto (08:27:00)
  14. Allegretto (05:44:00)
    15. Ludwig van Beethoven: Quintet op. 16:
  15. Allegro, ma non troppo (13:41:00)
  16. Andante cantabile (07:25:00)
  17. Allegro, ma non troppo (05:37:00)
    18. Ludwig Thuille: Sextet op. 6:
  18. Allegro moderato (10:18:00)
  19. Larghetto (06:54:00)
  20. Gavotte - Andante quasi allegretto (03:25:00)
  21. Finale - Vivace (05:42:00)
    22. Nikolai Rimskij-Korsakow: Quintet:
  22. Allegro con brio (10:33:00)
  23. Andante - Fughetta - Andante (09:44:00)
  24. Rondo - allegretto (08:04:00)

Literature von/über Ludwig van Beethoven

Last edit 12.05.2020