The Beethoven teaser

[Peter]

Well here's this week's offering - far too easy!


1) A quality abode, n'est-pas? Answered by Megan : Pasqualati House

2) A witty symphony causes some confusion Answered by Chris : Jena symphony by Friedrich Witt.

3) It's frankly clear cut where this instrument is used! Answered by Michael : Glass armonica / Leonore Prohaska

4) Where the lemon trees bloom Master William! Answered by Michael : Op.75/1 Goethe "Mignon's Song" from Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre which opens with one of the most famous lines in German poetry, an allusion to Italy: "Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blühn?" ("Do you know the land where the lemon trees bloom?").

5) The flame is lit, but soon abandoned. Answered by Michael : Vestas feuer

6) Wellington's drummer misses the beat Answered by Philip : Meyerbeer who played the drums at a performance of Wellington's Sieg, but annoyed Beethoven by continually missing the beat!

[Michael]

Well here goes:

I think 4 might be the Mignon song "Kenns du das land" and 3 might be the glass (h)armonica?

Nothing else jumps out at me.

[Peter]

Well here goes:

I think 4 might be the Mignon song "Kenns du das land" and 3 might be the glass (h)armonica?

Nothing else jumps out at me.

4 is correct Michael and 3 is half right - I need the name of the Beethoven work that uses it!

[Michael]

4 is correct Michael and 3 is half right - I need the name of the Beethoven work that uses it!

That's from the incidental music for Leonore Prohaska - the melodrama where the narrator talks over the music. It's the only piece for glass armonica written by Beethoven.
6 could be a number of things. I'm thinking Panharmonicon/Maazel/metronome?
(I'm covering too many bets here and should probably be disallowed.)

[Chris]

Well here's this week's offering - far too easy!
2) A witty symphony causes some confusion

Symphony in C major "Jena", cataloged as Anh 1, but now known to be by Friedrich Witt.

[Michael]

Symphony in C major "Jena", cataloged as Anh 1, but now known to be by Friedrich Witt.

Nice one! This has to be right.

[Peter]

Symphony in C major "Jena", cataloged as Anh 1, but now known to be by Friedrich Witt.

Yes that's correct! Beethoven was thought to have started on a C major symphony using Haydn's symphony 97 in C as his model and Witt also took the same work as a model resulting in it being wrongly attributed to Beethoven.

[Peter]

That's from the incidental music for Leonore Prohaska - the melodrama where the narrator talks over the music. It's the only piece for glass armonica written by Beethoven.
6 could be a number of things. I'm thinking Panharmonicon/Maazel/metronome?
(I'm covering too many bets here and should probably be disallowed.)

Yes Michael - the 'frankly' in the clue was a reference to Benjamin Franklin who was credited with the invention, but actually improved the instrument.

[Michael]

5. Vestas Feuer?

[Chris]

5. Vestas Feuer?

Ah, good one!

[Peter]

5. Vestas Feuer?

Yes Michael - Beethoven started work on Vestas feuer but soon abandoned it as he was not keen on the libretto. I took several goes myself at concocting this clue - I had thought of 'Virgins soon abandoned' (vestale virgins guarded the sacred flame) but thought that had too many connotations!

[Preston]

After reading through the teasers, I wanted to give some serious credit to Michael. There is no doubt he knows his lore! Quite impressive Michael.

It's frankly clear cut where this instrument is used! Answered by Michael : Glass armonica / Leonore Prohaska

Where the lemon trees bloom Master William! Answered by Michael : Op.75/1 Goethe "Mignon's Song" from Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre which opens with one of the most famous lines in German poetry, an allusion to Italy: "Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blühn?" ("Do you know the land where the lemon trees bloom?").

The flame is lit, but soon abandoned. Answered by Michael : Vestas feuer

The missing 'cellist! Answered by Michael : Joseph Linke

A ruined fortress rebuilt? Answered by Michael : Fidelio - Beethoven wrote to Treitschke thanking him for his improvements to the opera "it determines me all the more to restore the ruins of an old fortress'.

It's a long bike ride away. Answered by Michael: Song cycle "An die ferne geliebte"

A sketchy philosopher by name. Answered by Michael: WITTGENSTEIN SKETCHBOOK

More chips? Sounds a bit patronising to me! Answered by Michael: MORITZ FRIES

The lark ascends over this mystery place. Answered by Michael (sort of!): KARLSBAD (and the Immortal beloved mystery)

Vote for these three? Answered by Michael : ELECTORAL SONATAS WoO 47

Are these dancers rock bound? Answered by Michael: CREATURES OF PROMETHEUS

The Liam Neeson answer lies in a famous film title.
"A spooky number" suggests Opus 70 No. 1
The Mendelssohnian clue could be Opus 112

... and there are others

[Michael]

Thanks for your kind comments, Preston. I think I'm okay with the straightforward clues but anything too cryptic and I'm hopeless. I've been a Beethoven fan for over forty years so some information must have stuck in my head.
I wish I could remember where I left my glasses.

[Preston]

Michael, you are welcome, .

[Michael]

I'm really stuck with the last two. Any ideas? Googling doesn't help with any of them which is a good thing - otherwise we'd have them all answered in five minutes!