Interesting new article

[Sorrano]

With respect to the article, in the first paragraph the author tells us that Beethoven "ripped up the title page" yet my understanding is that this was a myth, that Beethoven merely scratched out the dedication. What is the consensus on this?

[Preston]

With respect to the article, in the first paragraph the author tells us that Beethoven "ripped up the title page" yet my understanding is that this was a myth, that Beethoven merely scratched out the dedication. What is the consensus on this?

If I am not mistaken, which I may be, Ries told Beethoven that Napoleon had made himself Emperor. Beethoven ripped the title page and said something, to Ries, like, "then he is no more than a common mortal". I would have to look it up to find the exact words.

[Michael]

With respect to the article, in the first paragraph the author tells us that Beethoven "ripped up the title page" yet my understanding is that this was a myth, that Beethoven merely scratched out the dedication. What is the consensus on this?

It appears that there were two different manuscripts involved. The title-page of the symphony which Ries saw Beethoven destroy probably belonged to the now lost autograph score.
A different page survives in a copyist's score. This score has corrections by Beethoven and the title page is still in one piece, but the words "intitolata Bonoparte" have been erased so heavily that the surface of the paper has been punctured.

[Sorrano]

It appears that there were two different manuscripts involved. The title-page of the symphony which Ries saw Beethoven destroy probably belonged to the now lost autograph score.
A different page survives in a copyist's score. This score has corrections by Beethoven and the title page is still in one piece, but the words "intitolata Bonoparte" have been erased so heavily that the surface of the paper has been punctured.

Thank you for clarifying that. I thought I recalled seeing a picture of that title page with the tear in it.