Six Songs for voice and piano op. 75
Listening samples
Dedication
Text poets
Composition
In the course of 1809, nos. 1, 5 and 6 newly composed, nos. 2-4 as revisions of earlier settings
The Six Songs, op. 75, were published by Breitkopf & Härtel of Leipzig in October 1810. Not all of them were new: no. 4, 'Gretels Warnung' (Gretel's warning) on a poem by Gerhard Anton von Halem (1752-1819), though composed in 1795, was revised and finished in 1809. Initial drafts of Goethe's 'Song of the Flea' from Faust (no. 3) date back to 1790 and 1792. For no. 2, 'Neue Liebe, neues Leben' (New love, new life), also based on a Goethe poem, Beethoven returned in 1809 to material that was already ten years old. The only entirely new songs were no. 1, 'Kennst du das Land' (Do you know the country) from Goethe's Wilhelm Meister, which probably for this reason was placed at the front of the collection, and the final two songs, 'An den fernen Geliebten' (To the far away lover) and 'Der Zufriedene' (The contented man), both on poems by Christian Ludwig Reissig (1783-?).
When Beethoven first offered op. 75 to Breitkopf & Härtel on 4 February 1810, he proposed marketing it simultaneously in Germany and England (indeed, he had already found a London publisher, Muzio Clementi). This would not adversely affect sales in Germany, he argued: the two publishers need only agree on a common publication date so that neither would have an advantage over the other. As a date, Beethoven suggested 1 September 1810. His own advantage was obvious: in an age with weak copyright protection and no royalties, an author had to sell a piece as often as possible.
Breitkopf & Härtel published the songs but remained wary of the Clementi edition. When Beethoven sent the manuscripts to Leipzig on 2 July 1810, he again emphasised this arrangement: 'You are receiving herewith the first consignment of works which are to appear before September 1, 1810, and which consists of […] six ariettas. […] It is surely essential for your commercial profit that they appear on September 1st. But Breitkopf & Härtel did not trust Beethovens statements and had a merchant friend in London inquire after Clementis activities. And indeed, Clementi published songs nos. 1 to 5 separately in August 1810, whereas the German original edition was delayed until the end of October.
There was no need for Breitkopf & Härtel to worry about lack of sales: the demand was so great that by July 1827, they had already issued a fourth edition. Other publishing houses also reissued the songs, thereby furthering their dissemination. (J.R.)
When Beethoven first offered op. 75 to Breitkopf & Härtel on 4 February 1810, he proposed marketing it simultaneously in Germany and England (indeed, he had already found a London publisher, Muzio Clementi). This would not adversely affect sales in Germany, he argued: the two publishers need only agree on a common publication date so that neither would have an advantage over the other. As a date, Beethoven suggested 1 September 1810. His own advantage was obvious: in an age with weak copyright protection and no royalties, an author had to sell a piece as often as possible.
Breitkopf & Härtel published the songs but remained wary of the Clementi edition. When Beethoven sent the manuscripts to Leipzig on 2 July 1810, he again emphasised this arrangement: 'You are receiving herewith the first consignment of works which are to appear before September 1, 1810, and which consists of […] six ariettas. […] It is surely essential for your commercial profit that they appear on September 1st. But Breitkopf & Härtel did not trust Beethovens statements and had a merchant friend in London inquire after Clementis activities. And indeed, Clementi published songs nos. 1 to 5 separately in August 1810, whereas the German original edition was delayed until the end of October.
There was no need for Breitkopf & Härtel to worry about lack of sales: the demand was so great that by July 1827, they had already issued a fourth edition. Other publishing houses also reissued the songs, thereby furthering their dissemination. (J.R.)
