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Premiere and Publication of Newly-Discovered Work by Ludwig van Beethoven

Apr. 01, 2020

Just in time for Beethoven's 250th birthday, a previously unknown piano piece by the composer has been found in the Austrian National Library in Vienna. The work was recorded on two pages in a collection of sketches by Ludwig van Beethoven dating from the years 1790-1792. Among the multitude of different sketches in this milti-page collection, an Andante piano piece had been discovered some time ago. However, another complete little piano piece, previously overlooked, was also hidden on the first page. This newly-discovered piece does not bear a title and begins immediately following a previous sketch, making it difficult to find. 

The short 16-bar piece does not yet bear an opus number or WoO number. It bears the musical character of a Ländler and has been titled Ländlerischer Tanzer. Beethoven denotes the melodic line of the piece without gaps, even revising it in a few places, and noting the accompaniment in abbreviated form.

On February 27, as part of the exhibition "Beethoven and his Publishers" at the Austrian National Library, the new discovery was introduced by Dr. Jochen Reutter and premeired by pianist Doris Adam. The piece will be published as a first edition of the Wiener Urtext Edition (UT 50296) and is also available in the collection UT 50295. The Wiener Urtext Edition, a joint venture of the publishers Schott Music Mainz and Universal Edition Vienna, publishes musical works from the late 17th to the early 20th century in scholarly critical editions for performance and study.



To learn more about this new musical discovery, click here.

For more information about the Wiener Urtext Edition, visit: wiener-urtext.com

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