"Erste Liebe, Himmelslust" ("Primo amore, piacer del ciel"), scene and aria for soprano and orchestra WoO 92

Primo amore, piacer del ciel (First love, heavenly pleasure, WoO 92) was composed in Bonn between early 1791 and the summer of 1792. Beethoven may have written it for Magdalena Willmann (1771-1801), the first soprano at the Bonn National Theatre from 1791. Beethoven was a good friend of the Willmann family (they were even briefly neighbours). She was admired by her contemporaries for her unusually deep low register. The aria contains just such low passages, one of which Beethoven later even transposed an octave higher.

As the autograph bears an Italian text in a hand other than Beethovens, the aria was long thought to be Italian in the original. For the new Beethoven complete edition, however, Ernst Herttrich showed that it is based on a German poem by Anton von Halem (1752-1819), namely 'Die Liebe. Rondeua. Nach dem Englischen'. The popular Italian text is merely a translation sometimes padded to fit the music. Conversely, the rhythm was slightly adjusted to suit the melody. The Italian translation was obviously substituted with Beethovens permission, for the catalogue of his posthumous estate lists the aria with its Italian title.

When and why the translation was made cannot be determined. Perhaps it was suggested by Mme Willmann or by the publisher Artaria, who purchased the piece but did not publish it during Beethovens lifetime. Indeed, the composer demanded the manuscripts return for purposes of revision and never gave it back, despite several reminders from the publisher. (J.R.)