Ludwig van Beethoven, Variierte Themen für Klavier, Flöte oder Violine op. 107, Nr. 4, Partitur, Autograph, Fragment

Fragment of a replacement composition

This fragment from an autograph score of the Variations on National Airs op. 107 is the top part of an upright leaf, which has been separated from its lower half. In the Archives of the Gesellschaft für Musikfreunde in Vienna there is a further fragment, which originally formed a bifolium with the one shown here. On it Beethoven wrote down the third and fourth variations to the fourth song in the collection, an Irish folk-song. In autumn 1818 the composer had sent a complete cycle of variations to the Scottish folk-song collector and publisher George Thomson, who had commissioned the work. The latter was not, however, completely satisfied with all of the parts of the composition and asked the composer to send some replacements which would be easier for his English clientele to play and be more to their taste. In January 1819 Beethoven completed new variations for the songs in question, including no. 4. The autograph score shown here is of one of these replacement compositions. The fact that there are sketches for the Ninth Symphony on the reverse of the second leaf in Vienna, points to the fact that Beethoven himself separated the two leaves. (J.R.)