"An die Hoffnung", song for voice and piano op. 32
Listening samples
Text poets
Composition
Early 1805
Beethovens first version of An die Hoffnung ('To hope') was written in February-March 1805. The words are taken from Urania by Christoph August Tiedge (1752-1841) – a lyric and didactic poem found in the revised second edition of 1803. Beethoven omitted a dedication, but gave the piece to his friend Josephine Deym, as she told her mother by letter on 24 March 1805: 'The good Beethoven made me a nice present, a fine song he wrote to a poem from Urania: 'An die Hoffnung''.
The title An die Hoffnung has been interpreted as a special reference to Josephine Deym, who was long considered Beethovens 'Immortal Beloved'. However, Helga Lühning, the editor of the lieder volume for the New Beethoven Edition, proved that he did not invent the title as Schürmann und Tellenbach had presumed. The title has nothing to do with the Immortal Beloved, but is found in Tiedges table of contents.
Nevertheless, Beethoven gave the song to Josephine with a purpose, as we know from a letter of March-April 1805. The songs manuscript (an autograph or revised copy) probably bore a personal dedication to her that Prince Karl Lichnowsky saw when visiting Beethoven. The composer tried to reassure Josephine, who was worried that rumours might arise concerning her relationship to Beethoven. Beethoven played down the situation: 'As I said, the matter with L[ichnowsky] is not as bad as it's been made out to you, my beloved J[osephine]. L[ichnowsky] saw the song An die Hoffnung at my place by chance but said nothing about it. He concluded that I probably had some affection for you' (quoted from the complete correspondence, 216) (J.R.)
The title An die Hoffnung has been interpreted as a special reference to Josephine Deym, who was long considered Beethovens 'Immortal Beloved'. However, Helga Lühning, the editor of the lieder volume for the New Beethoven Edition, proved that he did not invent the title as Schürmann und Tellenbach had presumed. The title has nothing to do with the Immortal Beloved, but is found in Tiedges table of contents.
Nevertheless, Beethoven gave the song to Josephine with a purpose, as we know from a letter of March-April 1805. The songs manuscript (an autograph or revised copy) probably bore a personal dedication to her that Prince Karl Lichnowsky saw when visiting Beethoven. The composer tried to reassure Josephine, who was worried that rumours might arise concerning her relationship to Beethoven. Beethoven played down the situation: 'As I said, the matter with L[ichnowsky] is not as bad as it's been made out to you, my beloved J[osephine]. L[ichnowsky] saw the song An die Hoffnung at my place by chance but said nothing about it. He concluded that I probably had some affection for you' (quoted from the complete correspondence, 216) (J.R.)
