Ludwig van Beethoven, Skizzenblatt zur Klaviersonate op. 27,2, Autograph

Sketch leaf for the Moonlight Sonata

A witness to greed and vandalism: The leaf with sketches for the Piano Sonata op. 27 no. 2 originally belonged to a sketchbook from 1801, the so-called Sauer Sketchbook. The Viennese art and music dealer Ignaz Sauer bought it cheaply at the auction of Beethoven's estate on 5 November 1827 (he was one of the experts appraising the papers ...). His sole aim was profit. In the following years Sauer sold the sketchbook in separate parts to collectors for high prices. He usually added a cover to the leaves to be sold, as a kind of certificate of authenticity, on which the origin and price were noted: "Musical souvenir from Ludwig van Beethoven's own sketchbook, which, at the Viennese magistrate's open auction of his estate held on 5. Nov. 1827 according to the court protocol no. 17, was purchased by Ignaz Sauer, sworn art valuation commissioner / 20 [x] C.M. [= 20 Kreuzer Convention coins]." The photos on it were added at a later time.

The leaf contains sketches for the last movement of the "Moonlight" Sonata. The letters above the first stave are very hard to decipher, although according to Sieghard Brandenburg they might well be "MG", which was Beethoven's abbreviation for "Mittelgedanke" (middle idea). (J.R.)