CDLX. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van: 12 German Dances, WoO 8

CDLX. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827)

12 German Dances, WoO 8 (1795)
1. C Major
2. A Major
3. F Major
4. B-Flat Major
5. E-Flat Major
6. G Major
7. C Major
8. A Major
9. F Major
10. D Major
11. G Major
12. C Major
13. Coda
Kammerorchestra Berlin
Helmut Koch, cond.
[scrolling score]
(19:36)

Thayer:

"The Gesellschaft der bildenen Künstler had, in the year 1792, established an annual ball in the Redountensaal in the month of November; and Haydn, just then returned covered with glory from England, composed a set of twelve minuets and twelve German dances for the occasion. In 1793, the Royal Imperial Composer Koželuch followed Haydn's example. In 1794, Dittersdorf wrote the same number of like dances for the large hall, and Eybler for the small. In view of this array of great names, and considering that as yet the Trios, Op. 1, were the only works of a higher order than the variations which Beethoven had sent to press, the advertisements for the annual ball to be given upon the 22nd of November, 1795, give a vivid proof of the high reputation which the young man had gained as a composer now at the end of his third year in Vienna. These advertisements conclude thus: 'the music for the Minuets and German dances for this ball is an entirely new arrangement. For the larger room they were written by the Royal Imperial Kapellmeister Süssmayr; for the smaller room by the master hand of Hr. Ludwig van Beethoven out of love for the artistic fraternity.'"

In other words, free ...

Redountensaal