BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van 1770-1827

Trois Sonates pour le Clavecin ou Piano-Forte composées et dediées A Mr. Joseph Haydn. Docteur en musique ... Oeuvre II .. [Prix] 3f.

Vienne: Artaria et Comp. [PN 614], [1801-06?].

Oblong folio, Quarter dark brown calf with marbled boards, spine in gilt-ruled compartments, light brown endpapers. [1] (title), 2-51, [i] (blank) pp. Engraved. Watermark of a shield with a single star and crown, horizontal crescent moon, and initials.

Early manuscript inscription in dark brown ink to upper margin of title: "Executée par [?]M. Rehiding, Septembre 1834 P.Pe."

Some early fingering and markings in pencil.



Binding slightly worn; endpapers creased and with minor annotation in blue pencil. Occasional minor foxing and small stains; occasional indications of cracked plates; some leaves trimmed at lower margin, slightly affecting printed area.

First Edition, fifth state, second issue. Stroh C [?2], New Kinsky, p. 14, Hoboken 2, 17 (issue with watermark including the letters "PAM").

"The seven states of Artaria's first edition represent successive changes in the music plates. Changes in the plate for the title page - which appeared in three states ... - identify the copy's function as proof (A), first issue (B), or Titelauflage (C). ... As suggested in the chronology above, the first three states of the edition were proofs, evidenced by traces of initial errors." Multiple surviving copies of the first issue (C) represent the fifth state of the first edition. See Stroh: "Punches, Proofs, and Printings: The Seven States of Artaria's First Edition of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Op. 2" in Notes, Vol. 57, December 2000, p. 297.

The three sonatas of Op. 2 were written during the years 1793-95 while Beethoven was a pupil of Haydn in Vienna. They were first performed by Beethoven in Haydn's presence at a concert for Prince Lichnowsky.

"We do not know what Haydn thought of Beethoven's sonatas. No such enthusiastic testimony to the young genius came from him as that which he so spontaneously offered to Leopold Mozart about the greatness of his son. On the other hand, no such affectionate and respectful preface as Mozart addressed to Haydn is prefixed to Beethoven's sonatas; but if no love was lost between the hot-headed young man and the older master, they respected each other in spite of the fact that the former had very quickly discontinued his lessons. The Sonatas, Op. 2, are Beethoven's very convincing expression of that respect, and there can be no doubt that Haydn must have been impressed by the assurance of their mastery, even if he found them here and there too subversive in method and violent in expression for his taste." Blom: Beethoven's Pianoforte Sonatas Discussed, p. 5

As the autograph of Op. 2 is lost, the early printings are of particular importance.

Item #39508

Price: $6,800.00  other currencies