Funeral Cantata for Cressner - British Ambassador to Bonn 1781

[robert newman]

In January 1781 a funeral cantata was written at Bonn for George Cressner, British Ambassador. Who wrote it -

a) The 11 year old Beethoven ?

or

b) The Kapellmeister, Andrea Luchesi ?

If Beethoven wrote this cantata (having, amazingly, been commissioned to do so) is it appreciated that at that date, with Beethoven only 11 years old, Luchesi, by any fair and reasonable interpretation, must surely be credited with having been the composition and theory teacher of the same Ludwig van Beethoven, even at that early age of 11 years old.

So which is it to be - the admisssion that Luchesi was the earliest and true teacher of Beethoven in 1781 (and therefore worthy of being described as Beethoven's true teacher) or that Luchesi (the Kapellmeister) was actually (and reasonably) commissioned to write this work, which he invited the boy Beethoven to participate in.

Either way, the same thing just keeps coming back again - that credit can and must be given to Luchesi for having been far more important a teacher to Beethoven than most textbooks will allow.

Robert

[Rod]

Thanks for bringing this up Robert, you've been checking up your Hess numbers well (314)!

I know nothing about this piece, haven't heard it (has anyone!?).

The authorship is doubtful but have you found some info on the matter Robert? I would be surprised if it was Beethoven's solely on the grounds of why would the commission be given to an eleven year old boy? Unless B was very familiar with the Ambassador would it not be an insult?

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin



[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 06-23-2006).]

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by Rod:
Thanks for bringing this up Robert, you've been checking up your Hess numbers well (314)!

I know nothing about this piece, haven't heard it (has anyone!?).

The authorship is doubtful but have you found some info on the matter Robert? I would be surprised if it was Beethoven's solely on the grounds of why would the commission be given to an eleven year old boy? Unless B was very familiar with the Ambassador would it not be an insult?

Dear Rod;

Please refer to Paul Nettl's *The Beethoven Encyclopedia* and check the entry "Lucchesi."


Hofrat

[Hofrat]

Dear Robert;

Your mentor, Professor Giorgio Taboga, writes:

"During April 1783 Luchesi is in Italy to settle some family matters. The organ player Christian Gottlob Neefe, taking temporarily his place, will also train Luchesi's pupils during his absence. As Neefe is busy with conducting, Luchesi assigns the organ service to the 12 years old Beethoven, also playing the cembalo during the singing rehearsal of the Grossmann's theatrical company and at the theatre. Beethoven has been Luchesi's pupil for quite a long time; violoncellist Bernhard Joseph Maeurer witnesses that Beethoven's first work, the cantata on the death of the English minister George Cressner in 1781, was corrected by Luchesi and, following his will, it was sung by the choir."


Hofrat

[robert newman]

Dear Hofrat,

Thank you for describing Prof. Taboga as my 'mentor'. I am unsure whether this is entirely the case in every respect though I certainly owe the good professor a great deal with regard to Luchesi. Unless I am mistaken, Prof Taboga is here alluding to a claim made by Bernhard Joseph Maeurer that this cantata was composed by Beethoven and was corrected by Luchesi. (Whether this is believed by Prof Taboga or not seems unclear).

The point is surely this - here is a modern author attributing (or trying to attribute) to the 11 year old Beethoven a cantata that was supposedly corrected by the Kapellmeister at Bonn.

Now, is it likely, is it reasonable, to assume that such a cantata was more probably commissioned from the 11 year old Beethoven or from the Kapellmeister himself ? And if you think Beethoven wrote it, do you not agree that here is evidence that Luchesi was, indeed, at the very least, Beethoven's teacher at this time ?

In the 5th Edition of Groves under the heading 'Luchessi' we have the same story - again, Beethoven is attributed this cantata and once again he is said to have had the work 'corrected' by Luchesi. How then can it reasonably be denied by anyone that, at the very least, Andrea Luchesi was the teacher of Beethoven, even at this early age - despite the probability being that, in fact, such a commussion was really given to Luchesi himself and that the boy Beethoven was allowed to be involved in its production ?

You see clearly how often works are attributed to Beethoven in this way. I think this cannot reasonably be allowed without at least crediting Luchesi as Beethoven's true and earliest teacher of composition.

Regards

Robert

[Peter]

Originally posted by robert newman:

Either way, the same thing just keeps coming back again - that credit can and must be given to Luchesi for having been far more important a teacher to Beethoven than most textbooks will allow.

Robert

What keeps coming back again is your inability to leave this topic which we have discussed to distraction! I suggest you set up your own website devoted to Luchesi where you can spout on about this ad infinitum!

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'Man know thyself'