Ludwig van Beethoven, Skizzenblatt zu den Ruinen von Athen op. 113 sowie zur Sinfonie Nr. 7 op. 92, 1. Satz, Autograph

Proof unfortunately not to be found

Amongst its diverse holdings of autograph sketches the Beethoven-Haus owns the so-called Pettersche sketchbook, named after a previous owner, in which Beethoven's sketches for the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies, the "Ruins of Athens", op 113 and his violin sonata, op 96, can be found. As with most of Beethoven's sketchbooks single leaves have been removed over the years - either given away as presents or sold to collectors. The Pettersche sketchbook shared the same fate. Yet its original form can be reconstructed to a large extent and loose leaves can be identified as belonging to the sketchbook. The Beethoven-Haus owns eight such single leaves, which can be assigned to their rightful place in the sketchbook on examining internal and external features. The role of a ninth single leaf, shown here, is not clear. The Pettersche sketchbook consists of two different sorts of paper: the first eight leaves are of a different sort than leaves 10 to 74. Between them at least one page is missing. This displaced page could be the one shown here for a variety of reasons: the paper has the same unusual watermark as the larger part of the Pettersche sketchbook and has, like them, the same rastrology (16 staves). The sketch-content also corresponds - the leaf contains sketches for op. 113 and for the first movement of the Seventh Symphony. Unfortunately the leaf has been closely trimmed along the left inner margin, so that the last piece of evidence to confirm its claim is not visible. All of the single leaves which can be clearly identified have stitch holes on the inner margin with characterstic measurements. They are missing from the leaf shown here. It is therefore probable that the leaf was part of the Pettersche sketchbook but it cannot be proved without a doubt. (J.R.)