Rare Beethoven works revisited - Konig Stephan Op117

[Peter]

Konig Stephan Op117

Female chorus: Wo die Unschuld Blumen streute (Andante con moto all'Ongarese) -
Chorus: Eine neue strahlende Sonne (Vivace) -
Final chorus: Heil! Heil unserm Enkeln (Presto)


Beethoven was commissioned to compose a stage work for the inauguration of the first Pest theater. The dedication of the building was planned for Shrove Tuesday, 9 February, 1812. Kotzebue, a popular poet of the time had already submitted text in verse in the spring of the previous year so that the composer would have time to set it to music. Beethoven composed two works based on this text, one 'Ungarns erste Wohltater' (The First Benefactor of Hungary) was published under the title 'Konig Stephan' by the publishers Breitkopf und Hartel. The other piece was published under the title 'Die Ruinen von Athen'. Konig Stephan consists of nine pieces and an overture, in which Beethoven used Hungarian motives.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gji1EzgRkDs[/YOUTUBE]

[Chris]

Very enjoyable music, and it's a pity that most would only know the overture (if anything). This is not the greatest music Beethoven ever wrote, but I definitely get the urge to revisit it at times. I think this is a particularly attractive movement, with its catchy tunes and exciting ending.

[Hollywood]

I have this version of König Stephan Op. 117 conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. This is one of my favorite Beethoven cds.

[Michael]

Yes - that's my favourite recording and I think Chris has this CD as well. The tune posted by Peter above is one of Beethoven's most attractive melodies. It is also featured in the overture.

[Chris]

I have that one too, Hollywood, and I agree - it is an excellent CD. I see it now from Amazon for $8, and there are third-party sellers on there selling new copies for about $4, so if you enjoyed the video, I highly recommend picking up this disc!

[Roehre]

I have this version of König Stephan Op. 117 conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. This is one of my favorite Beethoven cds.

I bought the original CBS Masterworks LP immediately as it was issued in 1976 or '77 (CBS 76404). To the present neither DGG nor Decca (nor Philips before it disappeared) did record this repertoire. DGG leased most of the contents of this record for its own 1997 Complete Beethoven Edition.
I even got a cassette tape of this LP (CBS 40-76404)

[Michael]

I bought the original CBS Masterworks LP immediately as it was issued in 1976 or '77 (CBS 76404). To the present neither DGG nor Decca (nor Philips before it disappeared) did record this repertoire. DGG leased most of the contents of this record for its own 1997 Complete Beethoven Edition.
I even got a cassette tape of this LP (CBS 40-76404)

I had the LP too back in the day. There is another recording of this music on the Brilliant set and the same one is included in the Blue Box (as I call the Cascade edition).
The music certainly doesn't deserve this neglect. I think record companies would rather release works reconstructed by somebody or other from a sketch of two or three bars.

(added later) I forgot to mention above that the DGG set features another recording of the King Stephen music, conducted by Myung-Whun-Chung, with a linking recitation by none other than Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. A short melodrama (about one minute long) is included which seems to be absent from other recordings.