A musical autograph is surfacing from the collection of a bibliophile. This draft document consisting of two pages 20 x 30 cm with 15 staves per page is estimated £ 150K for sale by Sotheby's in London on October 20, lot 12.
This previously unknown piece helps to understand Beethoven's creative process here applied to his 5th Piano Concerto in E flat major. The composer wants freedom, in music and in politics. In this opus 73 he reinforces the role of the soloist in the face of the accompaniment and lengthens the duration.
The design phase of this concerto extends over several months, in an atmosphere of fear of war and hatred against the Napoleonic empire. The draft certainly laid down in the late 1808 interweaves the ideas that will lead to the first and final movement of the concerto, demonstrating that early in that new project the maestro had an overall vision of his future opus.
The concerto is completed in 1809 but Beethoven can not interpret it by himself due to his increasing hearing disability. This very innovative work that could not leave indifferent the music lovers gets a mixed reception two years later with a triumph in Leipzig and doubts in Vienna.
Beethoven created in this opus 73 the structure of the symphonic concerto that will so much inspire Liszt and Brahms. However he is frustrated by his infirmity and will not prepare another concerto. The name of Emperor Concerto popularly given to this opus displeases the maestro.
SOLD for £ 380K including premium
An unrecorded draft for #Beethoven's last piano concerto emerges for sale: #SothebysBooks https://t.co/EhZMii7c2c pic.twitter.com/12eCXoeVHs
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) September 16, 2016