Must it be? It must be.

[susanwen]

I'm guessing that this quote refers to the idea that Beethoven's musical turns and developments, although surprising and unexpected the first time you hear them, turn out to be almost inevitable when you get used to them. No other notes or combinations would do as well. After hearing a Beethoven symphony only once or twice, you can almost hum the entirety of an hour-long piece, because of the way one phrase necessarily follows the other (seemingly necessarily). So perhaps he tests each phrase by asking himself if the new theme must be, is it the best new development he can come up with, and when he decides "it must be," he's done. Mozart supposedly composed freely, and had a satisfactory piece the first time through. Beethoven worked and labored on his for months and years, revising and improving. In the end, he had the piece of music that must be.

[Fidelio]

Muss es sein? Es muss sein! Es muss sein! (Must it be? It must be! It must be!)

Ludwig van Beethoven, comment written on the finale of his String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135

Beethoven's String Quartet No. 16 in F major (Opus 135) was written in 1826 and was the last substantial work he finished. Only the last movement of the Quartet Op. 130, written as a replacement for the Große Fuge, was written later. It was premiered by the Schuppanzigh Quartet in March 1828.

The work is on a smaller scale than his other late quartets. Under the introductory slow chords in the last movement Beethoven wrote in the manuscript "Muß es sein?" (Must it be?) to which he responds, with the faster main theme of the movement, "Es muß sein!" (It must be!). The whole movement is headed "Der schwer gefaßte Entschluß" (The Difficult Decision).

[Peter]

There are two stories relating to the origins of the phrase 'Muss es sein? Es muss sein!' ('Must it be? It must be!')

The first, told to us by Schindler, relates to Beethoven's housekeeper's constant requests for money. This was not an easy task for her as Beethoven was always busy and constantly needed reminding. When Beethoven noticed her ('Frau Schnapps' as he called her) standing by him waiting for the housekeeping money, he would say, or even sing: 'Must it be?'. The old woman would nod and reply 'It must be!' Schindler said that this joke was repeated almost every Saturday (payday) and was a source of great amusement for Beethoven. Evidence of this exists in the conversation book of 1823, where a person identified by Schindler as the housekeeper, puts the same request in writing.

A later story comes to us from Karl Holz and Schindler. In 1826, violinists Joseph Bohm and Joseph Mayseder wished to play Beethoven's latest quartet (op.130) at one of the quartet parties they held at the house of Ignaz Dembscher. However Beethoven would not provide Dembscher with the quartet manuscripts because Dembscher had not subscribed to an earlier performance of the piece by the Schuppanzigh Quartet. Distraught by this, Dembscher begged Holz to find some way to change Beethoven's mind. Holz suggested that Demscher send Schuppanzigh 50 florins, which was the subscription fee. To this suggestion Demscher laughingly asked 'Must it be?' When Holz told Beethoven of this Beethoven laughed as well and immediately wrote a canon (WoO196) on the following words: 'Es muss sein! Ja. Heraus mit dem beutel! (It must be! Yes. Out with the money!) Beethoven made the most of this joke for some time also, and it is mentioned in the conversation books.

The joke finally played its part in Beethoven's last quartet op135, in the final movement which he entitled 'Der schwer gefasste Entschluss' (roughly 'the hard won decision'). Here, on the dark Grave section Beethoven writes 'Muss es sein?', and on the following humorous Allegro he writes 'Es muss sein!'. Much has been made of what he meant by all this in its quartet context. It's an ironic joke that only Beethoven could make, and perhaps can be seen as a reflection of his general philosophy of life, summing up his struggles and his faith.

[Quijote]

There are two stories relating to the origins of the phrase 'Muss es sein? Es muss sein!' ('Must it be? It must be!')

The first, told to us by Schindler, relates to Beethoven's housekeeper's constant requests for money. This was not an easy task for her as Beethoven was always busy and constantly needed reminding. When Beethoven noticed her ('Frau Schnapps' as he called her) standing by him waiting for the housekeeping money, he would say, or even sing: 'Must it be?'. The old woman would nod and reply 'It must be!' Schindler said that this joke was repeated almost every Saturday (payday) and was a source of great amusement for Beethoven. Evidence of this exists in the conversation book of 1823, where a person identified by Schindler as the housekeeper, puts the same request in writing.

A later story comes to us from Karl Holz and Schindler. In 1826, violinists Joseph Bohm and Joseph Mayseder wished to play Beethoven's latest quartet (op.130) at one of the quartet parties they held at the house of Ignaz Dembscher. However Beethoven would not provide Dembscher with the quartet manuscripts because Dembscher had not subscribed to an earlier performance of the piece by the Schuppanzigh Quartet. Distraught by this, Dembscher begged Holz to find some way to change Beethoven's mind. Holz suggested that Demscher send Schuppanzigh 50 florins, which was the subscription fee. To this suggestion Demscher laughingly asked 'Must it be?' When Holz told Beethoven of this Beethoven laughed as well and immediately wrote a canon (WoO196) on the following words: 'Es muss sein! Ja. Heraus mit dem beutel! (It must be! Yes. Out with the money!) Beethoven made the most of this joke for some time also, and it is mentioned in the conversation books.

The joke finally played its part in Beethoven's last quartet op135, in the final movement which he entitled 'Der schwer gefasste Entschluss' (roughly 'the hard won decision'). Here, on the dark Grave section Beethoven writes 'Muss es sein?', and on the following humorous Allegro he writes 'Es muss sein!'. Much has been made of what he meant by all this in its quartet context. It's an ironic joke that only Beethoven could make, and perhaps can be seen as a reflection of his general philosophy of life, summing up his struggles and his faith.

There is another theory (I'm afraid I have forgotten the source, but I'll dig it out later) that says that Es Muss Sein could mean that Beethoven finally opted for E-flat (Es in German); the writer pointed out the importance of this key in the quartet.

[Fidelio]

This story stems from Karl Holz and is related in Thayer/Forbes which also reproduces in a canon. It dates from the beginning of August 1826. Schindlers account that the phrasrs 'must it be?' 'it must be!' arise from the exchange between Beethoven and his housekeeper over weekly house money is supported by a forged entry in a conversation book and must be dismissed.

Ignaz Dembscher who had not subscribed to the premiere of the B flat Quartet Op.130 and who was subseqeuently forced by Beethoven to pay up in order to receive performance parts for that work. Dembscher queried 'muB en sein'? and Beethoven highly amused sketched a canon to the words 'Es muB sein! ja ja ja Heraus mit dem Beutel'! (it must be yes, yes,yes, out with your wallet!' The canonic motive in turn found its way in Beethoven final Quartet.

The question 'must it be' is heard in the slow Grave introduction, its motive an inversion of the 'it must be' configuration of a rising third and falling fourth.