Beethoven's Sketches

Die Deutung der Skizzen Beethovens zur Erkenntnis seines Stils

Paul Mies, 1925

Translated by Doris L. Mackinnon as
Beethoven's Sketches: an analysis of his style based on a study of his sketch-books
publ. Oxford University Press 1929; reprinted Dover 1974

1. The melodic line:
(a) Up-beat and 'curtain' - 5
(b) The melodic apex and its treatment - 16
(c) Repetition of notes - 35
(d) Suspension: absolute melodic structure - 39
II. The melodic form:
(a) The types of melody - 44
(b) Threefold repetition - 46
(c) Avoidance of sequences and uniform rhythms;
characteristic relations between the melodic types, and their changes - 56
(d) Sequence-contractions - 76
(e) Transformation of the types - 85
(f) Themes with irregular number of bars - 101
(g) Melodic breadth and elimination of caesurae - 102
(h) The fugue theme - 110
Index of Opus-numbers
List of Abbreviations
Bibliography
Editor's notes

Index of Opus-numbers

Op.1 No.2 (string trio) see Ex.25
Op.1 No.3 (string trio) see Ex.42, Ex.91
Op.2 No.1 (piano sonata) see Ex.119
Op.2 No.2 (piano sonata) see Ex.66, Ex.67
Op.2 No.3 (piano sonata) see Ex.45, Ex.125
Op.7 (piano sonata) see Ex.69a, Ex.71
Op.8 (serenade) see Ex.14
Op.10 No.1 (piano sonata) see Ex.64, Ex.65, Ex.99
Op.10 No.2 (piano sonata) see Ex.68, Ex.120, Ex.126
Op.10 No.3 (piano sonata) see Ex.12, Ex.58
Op.11 (clarinet trio) see Ex.105
Op.13 (piano sonata) see Ex.44
Op.14 No.1 (piano sonata) see Ex.77
Op.14 No.2 (piano sonata) see Ex.63
Op.15 (piano concerto) see Ex.79
Op.16 (quintet piano-and-wind) see Ex.30, Ex.38
Op.18 No.1 (string quartet) see Ex.62, Ex.74, Ex.109
Op.18 No.2 (string quartet) see Ex.55, Ex.111
Op.18 No.3 (string quartet) see Ex.22
Op.18 No.4 (string quartet) see Ex.43
Op.18 No.5 (string quartet) see Ex.8, Ex.37, Ex.54, Diag.57
Op.18 No.6 (string quartet) see Ex.87,
Op.22 (piano sonata) see Ex.3
Op.24 (violin sonata) see Ex.19, Ex.39, Ex.98
Op.26 (piano sonata) see Ex.94
Op.27 (piano sonata) see Ex.7
Op.28 (piano sonata) see Ex.121
Op.30 No.1 (violin sonata) see Ex.117
Op.30 No.2 (violin sonata) see Ex.17, Ex.101, Ex.103
Op.30 No.3 (violin sonata) see Ex.13, Ex.27
Op.31 No.3 (piano sonata) see Ex.122
Op.36 (2nd symphony) see Ex.85
Op.45 (piano four hands) see Ex.72 p.59
Op.46 (song) see Ex.15
Op.49 No.2 (piano sonata) see Ex.29, Ex.34
Op.53 (piano sonata) see Ex.11, Ex.41
Op.55 (3rd symphony) see Ex.16, Ex.56, Ex.76, Ex.86, Ex.100
Op.57 (piano sonata) see Ex.96,
Op.59 No.1 (string quartet) see Ex.52, Ex.78
Op.59 No.2 (string quartet) see Ex.23, Ex.31, Ex.81
Op.59 No.3 (string quartet) see Ex.88, Ex.95
Op.67 (5th symphony) see Ex.28, Ex.90, Ex.106
Op.69 (cello sonata) see Ex.35
Op.72 (opera) see Ex.49, Ex.50, Ex.84
Op.74 (string quartet) see Ex.36, Ex.83
Op.79 (piano sonata) see Ex.104
Op.83 (songs) see Ex.116
Op.90 (piano sonata) see Ex.1
Op.92 (7th symphony) see Ex.97
Op.93 (8th symphony) see Ex.4, Ex.21, Ex.82
Op.96 (violin sonata) see Ex.32, Ex.48, Ex.92
Op.97 (piano trio) see Ex.93, Ex.102
Op.98 (song cycle) see Ex.2
Op.101 (piano sonata) see Ex.127
Op.102 (cello sonata) see Ex.5
Op.106 (piano sonata) see p.9, Ex.9, Ex.24 in Chapter I and Chapter II, Ex.57, Ex.69b
Op.109 (piano sonata) see Ex.26
Op.115 (overture Zur Namensfeier) see Ex.114
Op.125 (9th symphony) see Ex.18, Ex.89, Ex.113
Op.126 (bagatellen) see Ex.75, Ex.110, Ex.115
Op.127 (string quartet) see p.7, Ex.118
Op.130 (string quartet) see Ex.33, Ex.46, Ex.59, Ex.123
Op.131 (string quartet) see Ex.10, Ex.112
Op.132 (string quartet) see Ex.6, Ex.19, Ex.73
Op.135 (string quartet) see Ex.47, Ex.124
Op.138 (leonore) see Ex.108

Abbreviations

S	Song-type
S8	Eight-bar Song-type
S16	Sixteen-bar Song-type
C	Continuation-type
S(C)	a Song-type, the several parts of which are of the C-type
C(S)	a Continuation-type, the several parts of which are of the S-type
In indicating the metric plan on which a theme is constructed :
\|: 2 :\|	a two-bar phrase, repeated
2 X	a two-bar phrase, followed by a sequence of itself
3 x 2	three repetitions of a two-bar phrase (six bars in all)

Bibliography

Altman		Wilhelm Altmann, Beethovens Streichquintett Op.4., I. Beethovenheft der Musik 1902, p.1097.
Becking		Gustav Becking, Studien zu Beethovens Personalstil. Das Scherzothema, 1921
Essner		Walter Essner, Die Thematik des Menuetts in den Streichquartetten J. Haydns, Diss., Erlangen, 1922
Fischer		Wilhelm Fischer, Zur Entwicklungsgeschichte des Wiener klassischen Stils, Wiener Studien zur Musikwissenschaft III, 1915
Gal		Hans Gál, Die Stileigentümlichkeiten des jungen Beethoven., Wiener Studien zur Musikwissenschaft IV, 1916
Graf		Max Graf, Die innere Werkstatt des Musikers, 1910
Helm		Theodor Helm Beethovens Streichquartette; Versuch einer technischen Analyse dieser Werke im Zusammenhange mit ihren geistigen Gehalt Leipzig, 1885
Heuss		Alfred Heuss, Beethoven in der jüngsten Gegenwart, Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft, III Jahrg., 1920/1921
Jalowetz		Heinrich Jalowetz, Beethovens Jugendwerke in ihren melodischen Beziehungen zu Mozart, Haydn und C.Ph.E.Bach, Sammelb. d. IMG., XII. Jahrg. 1910/1911
Kurth		Ernst Kurth, Romantische Harmonik und ihre Krise in Wagners "Tristan", Bern 1920.
Leitzmann		Albert Leitzmann, L. van Beethoven. Berichte der Zeitgenossen, Briefe und persönliche Aufzeichnungen, 2 Bände, 1921
Lorentz		Alfred Lorenz, Gedanken und Studien zur musikalischen Formgebung in Wagner's 'Ring des Nibelungen', pp. 60, 92
Meumann		Ernst Meumann, System der Ästhetik, 3. Auflage, 1919
Mies		Paul Mies, Goethes Harfenspielgesang "Wer sich der Einsamkeit ergibt" in den Kompositionen Schuberts, Schumanns und H. Wolfs, Zeitschrift für Aesthetik und allgemeine Kunstwissenschaft, Bd. XVI, p.384
Mies		Paul Mies, Über die Tonmalerei, Zeitschrift für Aesthetik und allgemeine Kunstwissenschaft, Bd. VII, p.432
Mies		Paul Mies, Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft. Notice of M. Werker, 'Die Matthäus-Passion'.
Müller-Reuter		Theodor Müller-Reuter, Lexikon der deutschen Konzertliteratur, Supplement to Bd I, p.17 et seq. C.F. Kahnt, Leipzig, 1909; Anhang 1921
Emil Naumann		Emil Naumann, Darstellung Eines Bisher Unbekannt Gebliebenen Stylgesetzes im Aufbau des classischen Fugenthemas, 1878
N.I		Gustav Nottebohm, Beethoveniana, Aufsätze und Mitteilungen, 1872
N.II		Gustav Nottebohm, Zweite Beethoveniana, nachgelassene Aufsätze, 1887
N.65		Gustav Nottebohm, Ein Skizzenbuch von Beethoven aus dem Jahre 1803. Beschrieben und in Auszügen dargestellt, 1865
N.80		Gustav Nottebohm, Ein Skizzenbuch von Beethoven. In Auszügen dargestellt, 1880
N.65, N.80		Zwei Skizzenbücher von Beethoven aus der Jahren 1801-1803, in one volume, preface by P.Mies, 1924
Oppel		Reinhard Oppel, Über Beziehungen Beethovens zu Mozart und zu Ph. E. Bach, Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft, Jahrg. V. 1922/1923, p.30-39
Orel		Alfred Orel, Beethovens Oktett Op.103 und seine Bearbeitung als Quintett Op.4., Zeitschr. f. Musikwissensch., Jahrg III.
Prieger		L. van Beethoven, Leonore, Oper in drei Akten, Kavierauszug, herasugegeben von Erich Prieger, 1905
Riemann.I		Hugo Riemann, System der musikalischen Rhytmik und Metrik, Leipzig, 1903
Riemann.II		Hugo Riemann, Spontane Phantasitätigkeit und verstandesmässige Arbeit in der tonkünstlerischen Produktion, Jahrbuch der Musikbibliotek Peters, XVI. Jahrg., 1909
Schenker		Heinrich Schenker, Erläuterzungsausgabe der letzten fünf Sonaten, Sonate A dur Op.101, p.60
Schmitz		Arnold Schmitz, Beethovens zwei Prinzipe. Ihre Bedeutung für Themen und Satzbau, 1923
Sondheimer		Robert Sondheimer, Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft, III. Jahrg., p.87
Spitta		Philipp Spitta, Beethoveniana, in Zur Musik, 16 Aufsätze, 1892
Thayer I-V		Alexander Wheelock Thayer, Hermann Deiters and Hugo Riemann, L. van Beethovens Leben, I 1917, II 1911, III 1911, IV 1907, V 1908; see gutenberg.org
Utitz		Emil Utitz, Zum Schaffen des Künstlers, Zeitschrift für Aesthetik und allgemeine Kunstwissenschaft, Bd XVIII, 1926, p.67
Wedig		Hans Josef Wedig (1898-1978), Beethoven's Streichquartett Op.18. Nr. I und seine erste Fassung. Veröffentlichungen des Beethovenhauses II, Bonn, 1922
Wetzel		Justus Hermann Wetzel, Die Musik, XVI. Jahrgang, p.267

Editor's notes

Only the first half of Mies' book is present here. The rest, also important, discusses:
III. Unity within the movement and in the complete works, and groups of works,
IV. Constant features in the development: (in motive and rhythm, in modulation, in instrumentation, and in the general plan),
V. Beethoven as creative artist: (Writing the sketches, Artistic creation, Aesthetic judgement, and the importance of the sketches to Beethoven)
VI. Beethoven as composer of instrumental music and as writer of songs
VII. Style features adopted for their expressive value: (The common chord and other structures in the melody, Suspension and descending seconds, Ornaments, the Character of the different keys, and Notation and musical expression)
Beethoven sketched in the single line. A historical progression is clear here, corresponding to the stylistic evolution; Brahms sketched in two lines, tune+bass, and Mahler sketched in open-score quartet.
Beethoven was taught by Neefe to always carry a sketchbook, and to sketch moods of the moment (eg: laughter, flirtatiousness, anger, resignation, determination, fickleness, contentment, love, friendship etc., whether by introspection or observation), and facts of Nature (eg: earth, water, air, fire, dawn, lightning, forest etc.). He also taught particular moods as associated with particular tonalities, and the meaningfulness of Numbers within nature and within music, and encouraged Beethoven to play Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.
Beethoven often sketched without keysigs or even clefs; I've added them here.
The translation uses the word "liasons" a great deal, especially in Chapter II. I think in the original the word used was "Verbindungen", which means mainly "connections" or "relationships".
The musical examples were typeset, and the midi-files generated, by muscript. All their source-files are available in a tarball at www.pjb.com.au/mus/beethoven/motifs.tgz and on github at github.com/peterbillam/pjb_arrangements

Peter Billam