Beethoven, Ludwig van. (1770–1827). Autograph Musical Manuscript Fragment. A previously unrecorded and hitherto unpublished small double-sided sketch leaf fragment, recto with two measures of music in G minor scored for piano keyboard, inscribed below in a 19th Century hand in French and Italian: “Writing of Beethoven given to me by Proff. Fischoff of Vienna, 18/8/1847 / Catherine Watts.” The verso with a double system, both in bass clef and in the key of E♭, showing two and half bars of an arpeggiated figure in E♭ minor, with a partial third stave of music above. Sheet measuring 2.5 x 5.5 inches, no watermark visible, matted with an albumen photograph of a portrait of the composer.
The e-flat minor arpeggio is a continuation of some of the material that has been trimmed, making it difficult to identify out of context. The "Eroica" Variations and Fugue for Piano, Op. 35 (1802) are in the same written key of E♭ major, and while there is indeed similar arpeggiated figuration found there, this fragment could just as easily relate to any number of the composer's other compositions.
Joseph Fischof (1804 - 1857) was a Czech-Austrian pianist, composer and professor at the Vienna Conservatory of Music. A composition student under Ignaz von Seyfried, in 1833 he became Professor of Piano at the Vienna Conservatory. He was the uncle of composer Robert Fischhof. Joseph Fischhof published a number of literary works on music and was a collector of Beethoven scores and manuscripts which became important for biographers. A copy by Jacob Hotchevar of Beethoven documents previously lost was given to him, and later became known as the Fischhof Manuscript. For further history of the Fischof manuscripts, see Elliot Forbes' Preface to 'Thayer's Life of Beethoven'.
We are grateful to Dr. William Meredith, Director of Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies and the editor of The Beethoven Newsletter, for his assistance in the cataloging of this manuscript.
The e-flat minor arpeggio is a continuation of some of the material that has been trimmed, making it difficult to identify out of context. The "Eroica" Variations and Fugue for Piano, Op. 35 (1802) are in the same written key of E♭ major, and while there is indeed similar arpeggiated figuration found there, this fragment could just as easily relate to any number of the composer's other compositions.
Joseph Fischof (1804 - 1857) was a Czech-Austrian pianist, composer and professor at the Vienna Conservatory of Music. A composition student under Ignaz von Seyfried, in 1833 he became Professor of Piano at the Vienna Conservatory. He was the uncle of composer Robert Fischhof. Joseph Fischhof published a number of literary works on music and was a collector of Beethoven scores and manuscripts which became important for biographers. A copy by Jacob Hotchevar of Beethoven documents previously lost was given to him, and later became known as the Fischhof Manuscript. For further history of the Fischof manuscripts, see Elliot Forbes' Preface to 'Thayer's Life of Beethoven'.
We are grateful to Dr. William Meredith, Director of Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies and the editor of The Beethoven Newsletter, for his assistance in the cataloging of this manuscript.
Beethoven, Ludwig van. (1770–1827). Autograph Musical Manuscript Fragment. A previously unrecorded and hitherto unpublished small double-sided sketch leaf fragment, recto with two measures of music in G minor scored for piano keyboard, inscribed below in a 19th Century hand in French and Italian: “Writing of Beethoven given to me by Proff. Fischoff of Vienna, 18/8/1847 / Catherine Watts.” The verso with a double system, both in bass clef and in the key of E♭, showing two and half bars of an arpeggiated figure in E♭ minor, with a partial third stave of music above. Sheet measuring 2.5 x 5.5 inches, no watermark visible, matted with an albumen photograph of a portrait of the composer.
The e-flat minor arpeggio is a continuation of some of the material that has been trimmed, making it difficult to identify out of context. The "Eroica" Variations and Fugue for Piano, Op. 35 (1802) are in the same written key of E♭ major, and while there is indeed similar arpeggiated figuration found there, this fragment could just as easily relate to any number of the composer's other compositions.
Joseph Fischof (1804 - 1857) was a Czech-Austrian pianist, composer and professor at the Vienna Conservatory of Music. A composition student under Ignaz von Seyfried, in 1833 he became Professor of Piano at the Vienna Conservatory. He was the uncle of composer Robert Fischhof. Joseph Fischhof published a number of literary works on music and was a collector of Beethoven scores and manuscripts which became important for biographers. A copy by Jacob Hotchevar of Beethoven documents previously lost was given to him, and later became known as the Fischhof Manuscript. For further history of the Fischof manuscripts, see Elliot Forbes' Preface to 'Thayer's Life of Beethoven'.
We are grateful to Dr. William Meredith, Director of Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies and the editor of The Beethoven Newsletter, for his assistance in the cataloging of this manuscript.
The e-flat minor arpeggio is a continuation of some of the material that has been trimmed, making it difficult to identify out of context. The "Eroica" Variations and Fugue for Piano, Op. 35 (1802) are in the same written key of E♭ major, and while there is indeed similar arpeggiated figuration found there, this fragment could just as easily relate to any number of the composer's other compositions.
Joseph Fischof (1804 - 1857) was a Czech-Austrian pianist, composer and professor at the Vienna Conservatory of Music. A composition student under Ignaz von Seyfried, in 1833 he became Professor of Piano at the Vienna Conservatory. He was the uncle of composer Robert Fischhof. Joseph Fischhof published a number of literary works on music and was a collector of Beethoven scores and manuscripts which became important for biographers. A copy by Jacob Hotchevar of Beethoven documents previously lost was given to him, and later became known as the Fischhof Manuscript. For further history of the Fischof manuscripts, see Elliot Forbes' Preface to 'Thayer's Life of Beethoven'.
We are grateful to Dr. William Meredith, Director of Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies and the editor of The Beethoven Newsletter, for his assistance in the cataloging of this manuscript.