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**melvyn** · 10-25-2003, 09:36 PM

Originally posted by Malaclypse:
Hello all,

I have two questions. I am currently learning flute, and am practicing Beethoven duet titled 'Allegro and Minuet'. I have browsed the listing of his works, but it is unclear where this duet fits into his chronological list. Does anyone know? The title isn't very revealing, I am sure...perhaps he wrote several as 'Allegro and minuet'.

Could I get any comments about his works for flute, in general? I am most interested in hearing his collection of 6 and 10 works for flute and piano. Did he write much differently for flute than for violin? (okay, so I see have have more than 2 questions )

It is often said that Mozart wrote purely for money, and if a work was not commissioned, he didn't write. However true this may be, did Beethoven write in this way as well? Or was he a font of inspiration that poured out works which he then had to find buyers for?

-Malaclypse

I can at least answer some of your questions:

Beethoven wrote remarkably little for flute. I can only find around 6 works in the whole catalogue. The work you are undoubtedly referring to is Woo 26 - "Duet For 2 Flutes (Allegro and Minuet)" in G. An early work written in 1792. This can be heard on Vol.14 of DG's complete Beethoven Edition.

The other 6 and 10 works that you are referring to are Op.105 and Op.107. These are respectively 6 and 10 sets of Variations on National Airs for Piano and Flute (also arranged for Piano and Violin). I'm not sure how the flute version differs from the violin version as I don't think I've heard the violin version. These are both late works, written around 1817 to 1820.

Hope this information is useful to you.

Melvyn.

**Malaclypse** · 10-26-2003, 01:30 AM

Thank you, melvyn. Especially for listing a recording of the piece.

**melvyn** · 10-26-2003, 02:28 AM

Originally posted by Malaclypse:
Thank you, melvyn. Especially for listing a recording of the piece.

Also meant to say that recordings of Op.105 and Op.107 are on vol.14 as well.

In fact all of his flute music appears to be on vol.14, so that might be worth an investment.

I don't have recordings of the piano and violin versions of Op.105/107, so I've almost certainly never heard them.

Does anybody know of any recordings?

Melvyn.

**Stargazer78** · 10-26-2003, 05:05 AM

It is often said that Mozart wrote purely for money, and if a work was not commissioned, he didn't write. However true this may be, did Beethoven write in this way as well? Or was he a font of inspiration that poured out works which he then had to find buyers for?

-Malaclypse[/B]

The latter is correct.

Beethoven rarely wrote anything that wasn't up to his own standards, whatever the consequences...

**Peter** · 10-26-2003, 08:11 AM

Originally posted by Stargazer78:
The latter is correct.

Beethoven rarely wrote anything that wasn't up to his own standards, whatever the consequences...

I don't think the latter is entirely correct - Mozart's last 3 great symphonies for example were not if my memory serves me correctly written for commission. I would also say Mozart rarely wrote anything that wasn't up to his own standards, especially in the last decade of his life.

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'Man know thyself'

**Stargazer78** · 10-26-2003, 04:19 PM

Originally posted by Peter:
I don't think the latter is entirely correct - Mozart's last 3 great symphonies for example were not if my memory serves me correctly written for commission. I would also say Mozart rarely wrote anything that wasn't up to his own standards, especially in the last decade of his life.

I wasn't referring to Mozart, just to Beethoven, sorry if that wasn't clear.

I personally think Mozart (just as Haydn before him) was never afraid to write something FOR the audience, unlike Beethoven who generally wrote only for himself.

This doesn't mean he never put all his creativity and skill in any of his works, nor that he never wrote anything other then commitions, the mere idea is ridicolous.

True, money was a concern, they all had to eat after all (and in the case of Mozart, he had a family to care for), but they were still artists of the higher order and constanly struggled to achieve artistical freedom...

**Gurn Blanston** · 10-30-2003, 01:39 AM

While it is true that Mozart wrote primarily for commission, he was after all a professional composer who had no annuity like B did (for what that was worth!!), the symphonies that Peter mentioned, the 6 Haydn Quartets, the Diveritmento (Trio) K 563 and probably a few other of what are undoubtedly his greatest works were written solely for the love of the music, he received not a nickel! Now, as to the Beethoven flute works. I am afraid that they are pretty well all listed here. I can add that I DO have the Op 105 version for Violin & Piano as well as the Flute & Piano version, and they are essentially identical in composition, although of course they sound different because of the characteristics of the instruments. If you do not wish to pay the $70 US for the CBE 14, for a mere $14 US you can get a Vox Box of 2 CD's (CDX 5000) called "Beethoven - Complete Chamber Music for Flute" which also has such oddities as the Trio for 3 Flutes which is not on the CBE 14. In both cases the flautist is Jean-Pierre Rampal, although they are not the same performance. Since you appear to be interested primarily in the flute, I think this would be a better buy. I have both, but I didn't buy the CBE 14 for the flute music, I was quite satisfied with the Vox, I think you would be too.

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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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Beethoven's flute works, and writing for money

Beethoven's flute works, and writing for money

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