Bibliography
If one wishes to know Beethoven better, reference should be made to the principal biographies and other works on Beethoven, of which we give a brief list:
I.—For Beethoven's Letters.
Ludwig Nohl.—Briefe Beethovens, 1865, Stuttgart.
Ludwig Nohl.—Neue Briefe Beethovens, 1867, Stuttgart.
Ludwig Ritter von Koechel.—83 Original Briefe L.V.B. an den Erzherzog Rudolph, 1865, Vienna.
Alfred Schoene.—Briefe von Beethoven an Marie Graefin Erdody. geb. Graefin Niszky und Mag. Brauchte, 1866, Leipzig.
Theodor von Frimmel.—Neue Beethoveniana, 1886.
- Katalog der mit der Beethoven—Feier zu Bonn, an II.—15 Mai, 1890, verbundenen Ausstellung von Handschriften, Briefen, Bildnissen, Reliquien Ludwig van Beethovens. Bonn, 1890.
La Mara.—Musikerbriefe aus funf Jahrhunderten. Leipzig, 1892.
Dr. A. Christian Kalischer.—Neue Beethoven, Briefe. Berlin and Leipzig, 1902.
Dr. A. Christian Kalischer.—Beethovens Sämmtliche Briefe. Kritische Ausgabe mit Erlauterungen, 5 vol. Leipzig and Berlin, 1906-1908.
Dr. Fritz Prelinger.—Beethovens Sämmtliche Briefe und Aufzeichnungen, 3 vols. Vienna and Leipzig, 1907.
By far the most useful books for the English reader, and, indeed, for any reader, are the two splendid volumes of Beethoven's Letters. A critical edition with explanatory notes translated from Kalischer by J. S. Shedlock. (London: J. M. Dent & Co., 1909).
The translation of the letters contained in this present volume have been taken from that work by kind permission of the author and the publishers.
A good selection from these letters, issued in one volume at a moderate price, would be a great boon to English readers.
II.—For Beethoven's Life.
Gottfried Fischer.—Manuscrit (especially interesting for the childhood of Beethoven). Fischer, who died in 1864, was the owner of the house where the Beethoven family lived for two generations. He and his sister Cecilia knew Beethoven as a boy intimately, and have recorded their remembrances of him, which are very valuable, on condition that they are used with some criticism. The manuscript is in the Beethovenhaus at Bonn. Deiters (see below) has published some extracts from them.
F. G. Wegeler and Ferdinand Ries.—Biographie Notizen über Ludwig van Beethoven (especially valuable for the first part of his life), Coblentz . 1838. Re-issued by Dr. Kalischer in 1905.
Ludwig Nohl.—Eine stille Liebe zu Beethoven. Berlin, 1857. (A publication of the Journal of Mlle . Fanny Giannatasio del Rio, who knew and loved Beethoven about 1816).
Anton Schindler.—Beethovens Biographie. 1840. (For the second part of his life).
Anton Schindler.—Beethoven in Paris, Münster. 1842.
Gerhard von Breuning.—Aus dem Schwarzspanierhause, 1874. (The Schwarzspanierhaus was the house in Vienna in which Beethoven died. It was pulled down during the winter of 1903).
Moscheles.—The Life of Beethoven, London, 2 vols. 1841.
Alexander Wheelock Thayer, and continued by Hermann Deiters, and later by Hugo Reimann.—Ludwig von Beethovens Leben (Translated into English), 5 vols., 1908. This biography was commenced in 1866, but was interrupted by the death of the author in 1897 at Trieste where he was the American Consul. The work stood still till 1816, when Deiters undertook to finish it; but he died in 1907 before he had published the second volume. Riemann finished the work from the materials left by Deiters. It is by far the most important work on Beethoven.
Ludwig Nohl.—Beethovens Leben, 4 vols., 1864-1877.
Ludwig Nohl.—Beethoven nach den Schilderungen seiner Zeitgenossen, Stuttgart.
A. B. Marz.—L. van Beethovens Leben und Schaffen, 2 vols. 5th Edition revised by G. Behncke. Berlin, 1902.
Victor Wilder.—Beethoven, sa vie et son œuvre, 1883.
III—FOR BEETHOVEN’S WORKS.
Beethoven.—Complete works, critical edition, Breitkopf and Haertel, Leipzig, 38 vols.
G. Nottebohm.—Thematisches Verzeichniss der im Druck erschienen Werke von Ludwig van Beethoven, Leipzig, 1868.
A. W. Thayeer.—Chronologisches Verseichniss der Werke von Beethoven. 1865.
G. Nottebohm.—Ein Skizzenbuch von Beethoven. 1865.
G. Nottebohm.—Ein Skizzenbuch von Beethoven. aus dem Jahre, 1803. 1880.
G. Nottebohm.—Beethovens Studien. 1873.
G. Nottebohm.—Beethoveniana. Zweite Beethoveniana. 1872-87.
George Grove.—Beethoven and his Nine Synphonies. London, Novello, 1896.
J. G. Prodhomme.—Les Symphonies de Beethoven, 1906.
Alfredo Colombani.—Le Nove Sinfonie di Beethoven. Turin, 1897.
Ernst Von Elterlein.—Beethovens Claviersonaten. Fifth edition, 1895.
Willibald Nagel.—Beethoven und seine Klaviersonaten. Two volumes, 1903-1905.
J. S. Shedlock.—The Pianoforte Sonata. London, Methuen, 1900.
Charles Czerny.—Pianoforte School (part 4, chapters 2 and 3).
Theodor Helm.—Beethoven's Streichquartette. 1885.
H. de Curzon.—Les lieder et airs detaches de Beethoven, 1906.
Otto Jahn.—Leonore. Klavierauszug mit Text, nach der zweiten Bearbeitung, 1852.
Dr. Erich Prieger.—Fidelio. Klavierauszug mit Text, nach der ersten Bearbeitung, 1906.
Wilhelm Weber.—Beethovens Missa Solemnis, 1897.
Marian Tenger.—Beethovens Unsterbliche Geliebte, 1890. The historical value of this book has been frequently contested. Marian Tenger was the confidential friend of Theresa in her last years. It is very likely that Theresa, then aged, may involuntarily have idealised her remembrances; but the foundation of the story appears reliable.
A. Ehrhard.—Franz Grillparzer, 1900.
Theodor von Frimmel.—Ludwig van Beethoven (in the collection of Berühmte, Musiker), Berlin, 1901.
Jean Chantavoine.—Beethoven, Paris, 1907.
Dr. Alfred Christian Kalischer.—Beethoven und seiner Zeitgenossen Beitrage zur Geschichte des Kunstlers und Menschen. 4 vols., 1910. A collection of documents of the greatest interest on the whole circle of Beethoven's friends. This wealth of information renews in a great part the psychology of Beethoven.
Prof. Dr. Richard Sternfeld.—Zur Einfuhrung in Ludwig von Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.
Ignaz von Seyfried.—Ludwig von Beethoven im Generalbass, Kontrapunkt, und in der Kompositions Lehre, 1832.
W. de Lenz.—Beethoven et ses trois styles. (Analysis of his pianoforte sonatas), (out of print), 1854.
Oulibicheff.—Beethoven, ses critiques et ses glossateurs, 1857.
Wasielewski.—Beethoven, 2 volumes, Berlin, 1886.
R. Schumann.—Music and Musicians. Translated by Fanny Raymond Ritter, London, Reeves.
Richard Wagner.—Beethoven. Leipzig, 1870 Vincent D'Indy.—Beethoven. Paris, 1911.
1789.—Stlhouette of Beethoven at eighteen years. (Beethoven’s house at Bonn; reproduced in Frimmel’s Biography, page 16).
1791-2.—Miniature of Beethoven by Gerhard von Kiigelgen. (In the possession of George Henschel, London; reproduced in "Musical Times" of December, 1892, page 8).
1801.—Drawing by G. Stainhauser, engraved by Johann Neidl. (Reproduced in “ Les Musiciens,’’ celebres by Felix Clement, 1878, page 267; Frimmel, page 28).
1802.—Engraving by Scheffner, after Stainhauser. (Beethoven’s house at Bonn; reproduced in "Die Musik," of March 15th, 1902, page 1145).
1802.—Miniature of Beethoven, by Christian Hornemann. (In the possession of Madame de Breuning at Vienna; reproduced in Frimmel, page 31).
1805.—Portrait of Beethoven by W. J. Mahler. (In the possession of Robert Heimler, Vienna; reproduced in "Musical Times," December, 1892, page 7; Frimmel," page 34).
1808.—Drawing by L. F. Schnorr de Carolsfeld, lithographed by J. Bauer. (Beethoven's house at Bonn).
1812,—Cast of Beethoven, modelled by Franz Klein.
1812.—Bust of Beethoven, by Franz Klein, from the cast. (Belonging to E. Streicher, piano manufacturer, in Vienna; reproduced in Frimmel, page 46; "Musical Times," December, 1892, page 19).
1814.—Drawing by L. Letronne, engraved by Blasius Hoefel. (The finest portrait of Beethoven; Beethoven's house at Bonn contains the original, which he offered to Wegeler; reproduced in Frimmel, page 51; "Musical Times," December, 1892, page 21).
1815.—Drawing by L. Letronne, engraved by Riedel. (Reproduced in "Die Musik," page 1147).
1815.—Second portrait of Beethoven, by Mahler. (In the possession of Ignace von Gleichenstein of Fribourg-en-Brisgau. Reproduction in Beethoven’s house at Bonn).
1815.—Portrait of Beethoven, by Christian Heckel. (In the possession of J. F. Heckel, of Mannheim; reproduction in Beethoven’s house at Bonn).
1818.—Engraving from the drawing of Beethoven by Aug. von Kloeber. (Reproduced in "Musical Times," December, 1892, page 25). The original drawing by Kloeber is in the collection of Dr. Erich Prieger at Bonn.
1819.—Portrait of Beethoven by K. Joseph Stieler.
(The property of Alex. Meyer Cohn, Berlin; reproduced in Frimmel, page 71).
1821.—Bust of Beethoven by Anton Dietrich. (In the possession of Leopold Schrotter, of Kristelli; reproduction in Beethoven's house at Bonn).
1824-6.—Caricatures of Beethoven walking, by J. P. Lyser. (Original in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna; reproduced in Frimmel, page 67; "Musical Times," December, 1892, page 15).
1823.—Caricatures of Beethoven walking, by Jos van Boehm. (Reproduced in Frimmel, page 70).
1823.—Portrait of Beethoven by Waldmueller. (Belonging to Messrs. Breitkopf and Haertel, Leipzig; reproduced in Frimmel, page 72).
1825-6.—Drawing of Beethoven by Stepan Decker. (In the possession of George Decker, Vienna; reproductions in Beethoven's house at Bonn).
1826.—Drawing of Beethoven by A. Dietrich, lithographed by Jos. Kriehuber. (Reproduced in Frimmel, page 73).
1826.—Bust of Beethoven a la antique, by Schaller. (The property of the Philharmonic Society of London; copy in Beethoven's house at Bonn; reproduced in Frimmel, page 74, and in "Musical Times," December, 1892).
1827.—Sketch of Beethoven on his death-bed, by Jos. Danhauser. (In the possession A. Artaria, Vienna; reproduced in the "Allgemeine Musik-Zeitung" of April 19th, 1901.
1827.—Three sketches of Beethoven on his deathbed, by Teltscher. (In the possession of Dr. Aug. Heymann; published by Frimmel; reproduced in the "Courier Musical" of November 15th, 1909).
1827.—Mask of Beethoven dead, modelled by Danhauser. (Beethoven’s house at Bonn). Numerous portraits of Beethoven have been made since his death. The most remarkable work which has been dedicated to his memory is the monument of Max Klinger (Vienna, 1902).