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Für Elise – Beethoven

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This score is based on

Für Elise, WoO 59

by Ludwig Van Beethoven

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Uploaded on Dec 22, 2011

Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor (WoO 59 and Bia 515) for solo

piano, commonly known as “Für Elise”, is one of Ludwig van
Beethoven's most popular compositions. It is usually classified
as a bagatelle, but it is also sometimes referred to as an
Albumblatt.

The score was not published until 1867, 40 years after the
composer's death in 1827. The discoverer of the piece, Ludwig
Nohl, affirmed that the original autographed manuscript, now
lost, was dated 27 April 1810.

The version of “Für Elise” we hear today is an earlier version

that was transcribed by Ludwig Nohl. There is a later version,
with drastic changes to the accompaniment which was
transcribed from a later manuscript by Barry Cooper. The most
notable difference is in the first theme, the left-hand arpeggios
are delayed by a 16th note beat. There are a few extra bars in
the transitional section into the B section; and finally, the rising
A minor arpeggio figure is moved later into the piece. The
tempo marking Poco Moto is believed to have been on the
manuscript that Ludwig Nohl transcribed (now lost). The later
version includes the marking Molto Grazioso. It is believed that
Beethoven intended to add the piece to a cycle of bagatelles.

It is not certain who “Elise” was. Max Unger suggested that

Ludwig Nohl may have transcribed the title incorrectly and the
original work may have been named “Für Therese”, a reference
to Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza (1792–1851).
She was a friend and student of Beethoven's to whom he
proposed in 1810, though she turned him down to marry the
Austrian nobleman and state official Wilhelm von Droßdik in
1816.

According to a 2010 study by Klaus Martin Kopitz, there is

evidence that the piece was written for the German soprano
singer Elisabeth Röckel (1793–1883), later the wife of Johann
Nepomuk Hummel. “Elise”, as she was called by a parish
priest (she called herself “Betty” too), had been a friend of
Beethoven's since 1808. In the meantime, the Austrian
musicologist Michael Lorenz has shown that Rudolf Schachner,
who in 1851 inherited Therese von Droßdik's musical scores,
was the illegitimate son of Babette Bredl (who in 1865 let Nohl
copy the autograph in her possession). Thus the autograph
must have come to Babette Bredl from Therese von Droßdik's
estate and Kopitz's hypothesis is refuted.

In 2012, the Canadian musicologist Rita Steblin suggested that

Juliane Katharine Elisabet Barensfeld, who used “Elise” as a
variant first name, might be the dedicatee. Born in Regensburg
and treated for a while as child prodigy, she first travelled on
concert tours with Beethoven's friend Johann Nepomuk
Mälzel, also from Regensburg, and then lived with him for
some time in Vienna where she received singing lessons from
Antonio Salieri. Steblin argues that Beethoven dedicated this
work to the 13-year-old Elise Barensfeld as a favour to Therese
Malfatti who lived opposite Mälzel's and Barensfeld's
residence and who might have given her piano lessons. Steblin
admits that question marks remain for her conclusion.

The piece is in A minor and is set in 3/8 time. It begins with an

A minor theme marked Poco moto (little movement), with the
left hand playing arpeggios alternating between A minor and E
major. It then moves into a brief section based around C major
and G major, before returning to the original theme. It then
enters a lighter section in the subdominant key of the relative
major of A minor (C major), F major. It consists of a similar
texture to the A section, where the right hand plays a melody
over left hand arpeggios. It then enters a 32nd note C major
figure before returning to the A section. The piece then moves
to an agitated theme in D minor with an A pedal point, as the
right hand plays diminished chords. This section then
concludes with an ascending A minor arpeggio before
beginning a chromatic descent over two octaves, and then
returning to the A section. The piece ends in its starting key of
A minor with an authentic cadence. Despite being called a
bagatelle, the piece is in rondo form. The structure is A–B–A–
C–A. The first theme is not technically difficult and is often
taught alone as it provides a good basic exercise for piano
pedalling technique. However, much greater technique is
required for the B section as well as the rapid rising A minor
figure in the C section.

Kopitz presents the finding by the German organ scholar

Johannes Quack that the letters that spell Elise can be
decoded as the first three notes of the piece. Because an E♭ is
called an Es in German and is pronounced as “S”, that makes
E–(L)–(I)–S–E: E–(L)–(I)–E♭–E, which by enharmonic equivalents
sounds the same as the written notes E–(L)–(I)–D♯–E.

Pages 3

Duration 02:37

Measures 106

Key C major, A minor

Genre Classical

Ensemble Solo Piano

Parts 1

Part names Piano

Privacy Everyone can see this score

License None (All rights reserved)

Categories Piano for Intermediate

Classical for Piano

This score appears in

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Mozart24111 PRO · 1 day ago

Gracias

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velazquezjama PRO · 4 days ago

good

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jetzt1 · 5 days ago

great

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laernitrof PRO · 5 days ago

J'ai toujours voulu apprendre cette piece...WOW,
maintenant ca va etre possible !

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Danh Phu Pham · 6 days ago

good!

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