Beethoven's Logic
Posted: 01 Nov 2019, 15:56
We find a "curious" omission of rests in the introduction to the fugue in Beethoven's Piasno sonata op. 106:
At least it seemed so to following later editions, which add a quarter and eight rest to fill in the lower voice.
Only the Schenker edition presents the text as written.
To me this spot epitomizes the difference between Beethoven's logic and that of an editor who seeks to make everything fit preconceived norms.
Clearly the F
leads to the G 
that follows in the tenor voice. Another composer might have added a double stem and maybe even a prolongation dot to make this explicit, as the owner of this copy of the first edition seems to have penciled in. (See red square in the first example.)
Beethoven, however, always concerned about spielfreude, felt that it was unnecessary to sustain the G#. And since he did not want to tell a musical lie by writing in rests for a voice that was not resting at all, but combined within the upper part, simply leaves out the rests. What could be simpler or more logical?
- op 106.4 logic MS.jpeg (124.22 KiB) Viewed 2512 times
- op 106.4 logic B&H.jpeg (46.24 KiB) Viewed 2512 times
To me this spot epitomizes the difference between Beethoven's logic and that of an editor who seeks to make everything fit preconceived norms.
Clearly the F
leads to the G that follows in the tenor voice. Another composer might have added a double stem and maybe even a prolongation dot to make this explicit, as the owner of this copy of the first edition seems to have penciled in. (See red square in the first example.)Beethoven, however, always concerned about spielfreude, felt that it was unnecessary to sustain the G#. And since he did not want to tell a musical lie by writing in rests for a voice that was not resting at all, but combined within the upper part, simply leaves out the rests. What could be simpler or more logical?