a new Beethoven work?

[Serge]

It's been some time since I last wrote here--I have been feeling some serious discomfit about the tolerance of some of my views lately, but that's past and I won't discuss it further here anymore. However, I did hear something interesting on the radio this morning.

Apparently, there is another Beethoven overture out there. The manuscript for an overture for MacBeth was "reunited" after its various pages were retrieved from Berlin, Bonn, and London. It was supposedly discarded by the librettist of the play because it was too gloomy or something. In any case, the SO of Washington DC will be premiering it sometime soon.

I was half asleep when I heard this, so some of this info might be wrong. But to think that there is now another Beethoven work available to listen to... I'm extremely anxious to hear it. Does anyone know anything mroe about this?

[~Immortal Beloved~]

Originally posted by Serge:
It's been some time since I last wrote here--I have been feeling some serious discomfit about the tolerance of some of my views lately, but that's past and I won't discuss it further here anymore. However, I did hear something interesting on the radio this morning.

Apparently, there is another Beethoven overture out there. The manuscript for an overture for MacBeth was "reunited" after its various pages were retrieved from Berlin, Bonn, and London. It was supposedly discarded by the librettist of the play because it was too gloomy or something. In any case, the SO of Washington DC will be premiering it sometime soon.

I was half asleep when I heard this, so some of this info might be wrong. But to think that there is now another Beethoven work available to listen to... I'm extremely anxious to hear it. Does anyone know anything mroe about this?

I remember seeing a number of unpublished works at the back of the book, but I don't remember the author too well. I don't know when did Beethoven composed it...that is really strange, but I would love to learn more about it. I would love to listen to it also.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Serge:
It's been some time since I last wrote here

Apparently, there is another Beethoven overture out there. The manuscript for an overture for MacBeth was "reunited" after its various pages were retrieved from Berlin, Bonn, and London. It was supposedly discarded by the librettist of the play because it was too gloomy or something. In any case, the SO of Washington DC will be premiering it sometime soon.

Good to hear from you again Serge.
Here is some info I've found on this work (some of the sketches of which were used in the Ghost trio).

After Beethoven's death in 1827, sketches of the overture were broken up by souvenir hunters and ended up in three European cities -- Bonn, Berlin and London -- until Dutch composer and computer programmer Willem Holsbergen pulled them together.
The reconstructed overture, which lasts eight to 10 minutes, covers the famous first scene in Shakespeare's play in which the three witches meet amid thunder and lightning.
"The opportunity to give the world premiere of a Beethoven composition -- even a small portion of it -- is astonishing," said U.S. National Symphony Orchestra music director Leonard Slatkin, who will direct the piece at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on September 20 in the U.S. capital.

Holsbergen became aware of the unfinished Macbeth overture from a fellow Beethoven fan and Wisconsin lawyer, Mark Zimmer, whom he "met" in an Internet chat room.
Holsbergen and Zimmer later created a Web site called http://www.unheardbeethoven.org, in which they publicize little known works of the German composer, including an electronic version of the new overture.
With material provided by Zimmer and others, Holsbergen used a special computer program to recreate Beethoven's Macbeth overture, typing in notes from Beethoven's sketches that were then converted electronically into the music.

"It was very exciting when the piece sprang together for the first time, when it came to life," said Holsbergen in a telephone interview with Reuters from his home in the Dutch city of Leyden
Asked to describe the piece, Holsbergen said the overture was "pretty dark music most of the time, but there are points of light in it as you would expect from Beethoven."

He said it had not been difficult to pull together the pieces in the right order.
"It flowed naturally. It was just great fun doing it and a great honor," he said.

Beethoven made some notations on the side of the page, offering suggestions on which instruments should be used and specifying there should be no pause after the overture.
James Green, a trustee of the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies in San Jose, California, showed the work to the National Orchestra, which immediately expressed interest in performing it.

"He sent it to me and asked if I could find someone who was willing to do a performance. Of course, the Kennedy Center was thrilled when I approached them," said Green.
"This is the first premiere of a Beethoven orchestral work to take place in this hemisphere," added Green.

Holsbergen's score calls for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.
The piece has never been played by an orchestra and rehearsals are scheduled to begin three days before the premiere.


------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Michael]

Not another Barry Cooper Tenth! Why the hell do people feel they have to manufacture a "new" Beethoven work when there are so many genuine pieces that never get performed! In the present case, this so-called overture mostly consists of material from Opus 70 Number 1 where it is put to much better use.

Michael

[This message has been edited by Michael (edited 08-25-2001).]

[Rod]

Originally posted by Michael:
Not another Barry Cooper Ninth! Why the hell do people feel they have to manufacture a "new" Beethoven work when there are so many genuine pieces that never get performed...

Michael

I agree absolutely! Even considering the overtures alone one rarely hears anything other than lame renditions of the Egmont!! If some conductor sneaked the Namensfeier overture into a concert programme unannounced I'm sure most of the people listening would think it was a newly discovered work! As Cooper has proved, these 'reconstructions' based on minimal amounts of material serve no purpose.. other that deception.

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


[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 08-25-2001).]

[Bob the Composer]

Originally posted by Rod:
I agree absolutely! Even considering the overtures alone one rarely hears anything other than lame renditions of the Egmont!! If some conductor sneaked the Namensfeier overture into a concert programme unannounced I'm sure most of the people listening would think it was a newly discovered work! As Cooper has proved, these 'reconstructions' based on minimal amounts of material serve no purpose.. other that deception.

Judging from what Peter has said, I believe that there is probably more info here than with the tenth. Anyway, I would rather hear something by Beethoven, even if it has to be reconstructed, than have the sketches to something that could very well be completed locked up in 3 different museums. I wouldn't be suprised if this event attracts more listeners to Beethoven, having the opportunity to hear a new work. This goes along with what I said under Kids and Music.

<font color="green">Bob

------------------
Some have said I am ripe for the Madhouse. Does that make me Beethoven? No, but it is interesting.

[This message has been edited by Bob the Composer (edited 08-27-2001).]

[Rod]

Originally posted by Bob the Composer:
Judging from what Peter has said, I believe that there is probably more info here than with the tenth. Anyway, I would rather hear something by Beethoven, even if it has to be reconstructed, than have the sketches to something that could very well be completed locked up in 3 different museums. I wouldn't be suprised if this event attracts more listeners to Beethoven, having the opportunity to hear a new work. This goes along with what I said under Kids and Music.

<font color="green">Bob

It could be announced that a new overture has been discovered, and just present the Namensfeier. Thus the attention would be created with a bona fide completed Beethoven work. Who would be any the wiser? What happened to that quartet movement that was discovered not so long ago? It's been forgotten already!

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

[Michael]

Originally posted by Rod:
What happened to that quartet movement that was discovered not so long ago? It's been forgotten already!

To my amazement, I was able to download this piece from the internet - with a real live quartet playing - not just a MIDI. It's only a few bars but at least it seems to be a genuine Beethoven piece.

Michael

[Bob the Composer]

Originally posted by Rod:
It could be announced that a new overture has been discovered, and just present the Namensfeier. Thus the attention would be created with a bona fide completed Beethoven work. Who would be any the wiser? What happened to that quartet movement that was discovered not so long ago? It's been forgotten already!

I don't like that Idea. I'd just perform it, I wouldn't try to claim that it's "newly discovered" work.

Bob

------------------
Some have said I am ripe for the Madhouse. Does that make me Beethoven? No, but it is interesting.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Bob the Composer:
I don't like that Idea. I'd just perform it, I wouldn't try to claim that it's "newly discovered" work.

Bob

I was being cynical Bob!

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

[Rod]

Originally posted by Michael:
To my amazement, I was able to download this piece from the internet - with a real live quartet playing - not just a MIDI. It's only a few bars but at least it seems to be a genuine Beethoven piece.

Michael

I've got this too, played by the Eroica Quartet. I have no doubt it's genuine, but after all the interest in its discovery, it has been forgotten by all and sundry.

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