Ludwig van Beethoven, Kadenz zum ersten Satz des Klavierkonzerts (d-Moll) KV 466 von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, WoO 58,1, Autograph

Cadenzas for Mozart

Mozart was the first "great" composer whose work Beethoven studied in detail and he remained his model for a long time. Even if his admiration for the Salzburg composer came second to that for George Frederick Handel in later years, Beethoven always retained his great esteem for Mozart. "For I have always counted myself amongst the greatest admirers of Mozart and shall remain so until my last breath - " (from the translation by Emily Anderson, 1961), he wrote to Abbé Maximilian Stadler on 6 February 1826. His regard for Mozart influenced Beethoven's work in many different ways. Aside from various variations on themes by Mozart, he also wrote two cadenzas for Mozart's Piano Concerto in D Minor KV 466. The cadenza for the first movement, shown here, came to the Beethoven-Haus from the estate of Ferdinand Ries, Beethoven's pupil. It also bears a former call number from the music library of Archduke Rudolph, who was also a pupil of Beethoven's. It can thus be supposed that Beethoven not only had a particularly high opinion of the concerto but also worked on it with his piano pupils. He probably wrote the cadenzas for teaching purposes. (J.R.)