Elegischer Gesang, Op. 118

[Chris]

I was just listening to this fine work, and it prompted me to do a little more research into it. I find it interesting that the work is usually listed as being for four voices and string quartet, but all three of the recordings I have of it use chorus and orchestra. We know that the first performance of it took place on August 5, 1814 in the house of Baron Johann von Pasqualati (the work is a setting of a poem in memory of his wife who had died three years earlier), and that four voices and string quartet were used on that occasion. Do we have any idea if this was done for practical purposes or if this was indeed Beethoven's intention for the work? Also, in the first edition:

http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usim...782-Op.118.pdf

There is an option for piano accompaniment instead. Do we know where this came from? Is it Beethoven's?

[Peter]

As far as I am aware neither the orchestral version, nor the piano accompaniment option are Beethoven's.

[Roehre]

I was just listening to this fine work, and it prompted me to do a little more research into it. I find it interesting that the work is usually listed as being for four voices and string quartet, but all three of the recordings I have of it use chorus and orchestra. We know that the first performance of it took place on August 5, 1814 in the house of Baron Johann von Pasqualati (the work is a setting of a poem in memory of his wife who had died three years earlier), and that four voices and string quartet were used on that occasion. Do we have any idea if this was done for practical purposes or if this was indeed Beethoven's intention for the work? Also, in the first edition:

http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usim...782-Op.118.pdf

There is an option for piano accompaniment instead. Do we know where this came from? Is it Beethoven's?

The piano-version has not been prepared by Beethoven, but was authorised. The "orchestral"-version is nothing but a quadrupling of the 4 string parts. As it originally was conceived as private and intimate chamber music, a performance with only 8 executants were preferable. I have to admit that I've never heard (or heard of) such a performance.

[Michael]

A fine work which hardly ever gets an outing unless the forces required are employed in other works. I once heard it performed (on radio) before the Ninth Symphony - it might have been at the Proms.

[Chris]

The piano-version has not been prepared by Beethoven, but was authorised. The "orchestral"-version is nothing but a quadrupling of the 4 string parts. As it originally was conceived as private and intimate chamber music, a performance with only 8 executants were preferable. I have to admit that I've never heard (or heard of) such a performance.

Yes, it seems that the versions I have are all using the normal score, but just putting multiple people on each part. I have never seen a recording that did anything else. The piano version seems to have not been recorded, which is understandable, but I find it very odd that I can find no example of a recording or performance with the forces Beethoven originally had in mind. Given the subject matter, this would seem to be very appropriate. Plus, it would be cheaper and easier to use four string players and four singers than an entire chorus and string orchestra! But perhaps the answer is what Michael was saying - no one really assembles forces for a performance of this, it's just played when they have already gotten a chorus and orchestra together for some other purpose. Which is really too bad, because I think a one-to-a-part performance of this piece would be wonderful.