Having recently acquired the Brilliant complete works, I'm exploring some of Beethoven's less familiar output. It has been a revelation looking at the sheer variety of music composed, much of it of a distinctly light and breezy nature. Can anyone shed light on two pieces, the Gratulationsmenuett, WoO 3 and the Grenadiersmarsch Hess 107?
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The "Gratulationsmenuett" was a present from Beethoven to the director of the Josephstadt Theatre, Karl Friedrich Hensler (1759-1825). In 1821 Hensler had taken over the Josephstadt Theatre and rebuilt it. On 3 October 1822 it was re-opened. For this occasion Beethoven contributed a new overture, op. 124, for "Die Weihe des Hauses" ("The Consecration of the House"), and an arrangement of the "Ruinen von Athen" ("The Ruins of Athens") op. 113.
On 4 November it was Hensler's name day. He celebrated it the Sunday before, the 3 November. After the end of the evening performance all of the employees present gathered in the theatre, which was lit up and decorated, to surprise the director with a speech. Once the speeches were over Hensler returned, very moved, to his apartment in the theatre, not suspecting that the real surprise was now to come. The musicians gathered under the windows of his apartment and played several serenades for him in the street, including the minuet which Beethoven had specially composed for this occasion.
Hess 107 for mechanical clock consists of a 20 bar march by Haydn, an original transition and an arrangement of the March WoO29 (1797/8)'Man know thyself'
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