Overture and Minuet in C major, based on Beethoven's sketches, op. 83 by Ludwig van Beethoven Chamber Orchestra - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1415801

Score and parts of a premiere realization of some of Beethoven's sketches for the first movement of another Symphony in C major before the First, dubbed 'No. 0' or Unv. 2 by some: 1. 'Overture' (Andante con moto - Allegro con brio), 2. Tempo di menuetto. Useful for people interested in Beethoven's sketches and for students of the Classical style.
In 1794-1796, Beethoven made extensive concept sketches mostly for the first movement of this abortive symphony. The material is abundant and sometimes contradictory, as usual with his preliminary work, and he recycled later from this one only the main theme of the Finale of the completed Symphony No. 1.

For this speculative realization, suggested by Mr. Armando Orlandi at the Centro Ricerche Musicali and dedicated to them, only the more promising sketches were utilized, and the slow introduction was assembled from the ones in cut time, while those in triple time make up now a Minuet. Virtually every bar of music here includes the sketches, also in the elaboration and coda of the 'overture', only with a few transpositions needed for assembling the sonata form and for the repeats in the Minuet.

Obviously, Beethoven would have done it much differently, had he decided to continue working on this symphony, and the question remains regarding the utility of recycling material abandoned by some classical composer. However, this gives one an approximate idea of one of the many possibilities implied by the preliminary sketches for his Symphony 'No. 0'.
Total duration 15 minutes. The mp3 audio clip is the first movement. Performing Rights Organization: SOCAN.