Can anyone, please, help explain discrepancies in opus numbers for Beethoven? For example, Rondo for piano, Op. 51/1 was written in 1796-7 whereas Op.52 Lieder (8) were written in 1785-93. Why are the later compositions assigned lower opus numbers?
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Because they were not originally intended for publication. Beethoven's brother Caspar Carl had some involvement here as he acted for a while as Beethoven's manager and sold works to publishers sometimes without Beethoven's knowledge - the Op.49 sonatas are another example of this.Originally posted by Belle View Post'Man know thyself'Comment
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Apart from B's brother's involvement some publishers (mis-)used numbering works with a (much) higher opus number than the work according to its year of composition earned: opus 103 is such a work, and the sextet opus 81b is (the latter was numbered 81, but at the same time the pianosonata opus 81 appeared. Thus the sonata became 81a, the sextet 81b).Originally posted by Belle View Post
Other genuine anomalies are 33, 39, 45, 65, 71, 72 (correct for Leonore, too low for Fidelio), 81b, 87, 103, 112, 113, 114, 116, 117, 121b, 128, 129, 136, 137 and 138.
Opus numbers not assigned by B are i.a. 41, 42, 63, 64.
There are also a couple of re-numberings: Prometheus was opus 24, as the sonatas op.23 and 24 were originally opus 23 #1 and 23 # 2. But as the Spring sonata was in a different size from the sonata op.23, the work was split and the Spring became opus 24. Prometheus' piano-score had been published by then already (and is still known as opus 24), but the orchestral parts/score became opus 43. The Hammerklavier can be found as op.108.Comment
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Thank you so much for this information. Questions have come up during my programs on Beethoven and I haven't been able to answer these except for a general comment about whose hands might have touched what work and how that might have influenced inconsistent Opus numbering!!Comment
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