Goethe: Beethoven reflected my intentions with the most admirable genius
Beethoven not only made corrections to the musical text of this corrected copy. He also included many directions which connect the music with the drama. Goethe had already written Egmont so that the music was a core element in the drama. Goethe not only conceived Klärchen's songs as ones which were to be sung. The author also laid down the introduction of background music in some of the stage directions. In the fourth act he wrote "Music, representing Clärchen's death, begins." Goethe also intended the scene at the end of the drama, when Egmont is in prison, to be supported by music. After the curtain has fallen, he writes, "The music starts up and closes the play with a victorious symphony." In many places, Beethoven's instructions go further than those of Goethe. In the score he meticulously stipulates when the actors should begin to speak while the music is playing, when the curtain should rise and fall, and marks the appropriate places in the score. Goethe, who had received a copy of the score of the music for Egmont from the composer, was very happy with the composition. According to a report by Friedrich Förster (1821), Goethe pronounced the following judgement, "Beethoven has reflected my intentions with the most admirable genius".
Goethe's friend Zelter also considered Beethoven's setting to be exceptionally good. On 27 February 1813 he wrote to the author, "Yesterday I heard Beethoven's overture to "Egmont" played very well. It should be compulsory for every German play of any note to have its own music. One can hardly realize, how much good could come of it for the author, composer and audience. The author has the composer in his own field, can lead him, teach him to understand, even learn to understand him; the composer works on a complete idea and will certainly know what he should not do without being limited by this, and it must be a blessing, if both recognize each other side by side and explain each other." (J.R.)
