Ludwig van Beethoven, Skizzenblatt zum Klaviertrio op. 70,1, 3. Satz, Autograph

From the Pastoral Symphony Sketchbook

As with many single sketch leaves, this one with sketches for the Piano Trio op. 70 no.1 was also part of a sketchbook during Beethoven's lifetime. The so-called Pastoral Symphony Sketchbook, from which the leaf was removed, is now held at the British Library in London. Anton Gräffer, the auctioneer at the sale of Beethoven's estate in November 1827, auctioned it himself. As the book was lot no. 1, Gräffer might well have felt himself under an obligation in order to get the bidding started. At the time of the sale the sketchbook was much thicker than it is today. 28 leaves, which are now in the miscellany "Landsberg 10" at the Staatsbibliothek Preußischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin, also belonged to it, as did the leaf shown here, with one important difference: it was removed at a different time. Landsberg 10 was probably already removed from the sketchbook in 1842. Afterwards Gräffer numbered the pages in the book: each leaf was given a consecutive number in the top right-hand corner. All of the leaves of the sketchbook in London have these numberings - as does the leaf shown here. The front page bears the number "62" in the top right-hand corner, thus showing the leaf to be the last one in the sketchbook. (J.R.)