Choral Fantasy for piano, choir and orchestra
Arrangement for chamber orchestra (arr. U. Stäuble) op. 80, 1808/2025
In his Choral Fantasy (Fantasie), Beethoven created a paean to art that is at once both a cantata and a concert piece. The roughly twenty-minute work is often seen as a precursor to the Ninth Symphony’s “Ode to Joy”. After a contemplative piano introduction, a virtuosic dialogue unfolds – much like in a concerto – between piano and orchestra before the vocal soloists and choir make their entrance. Finally, piano, orchestra, and voices unite in an exhilarating song of jubilation.
This arrangement makes the work accessible even to smaller choirs and instrumental ensembles, requiring only half of the original wind parts. The tonal balance and musical substance are retained, making this version a practical alternative to the original. The vocal scores and choral scores from the original version (Carus 10.394) can be used.
| Original version | Arrangement for chamber orchestra |
| Soli SSATB, Coro SATB, Pfte, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Clt, 2 Fg, 2 Cor, 2 Tr, Timp, 2 Vl, Va, Vc/Cb | Soli SSATB, Coro SATB, Pfte, Fl, Ob, Clt, Fg, Cor, Tr, Timp, 2 Vl, Va, Vc/Cb |
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Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven
| 1770-1827Ludwig van Beethoven was without doubt one of the most influential composers in the history of music. His works formed the culmination of many genres – particularly instrumental – of Viennese classicism, and laid the foundation for the following decades. But Beethoven’s vocal works set standards too: the late Missa Solemnis is one of the most impressive choral works of its time; but his earlier Mass in C also opens up new worlds of expression for the liturgical text, and set the benchmark for the further development in the composition of the mass. And with the final chorus of the Ninth Symphony, the setting of Schiller’s Ode to Joy, Beethoven created one of the most frequently-performed and best known choral pieces of all, writing a timeless musical memorial to himself. Personal details
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Songwriter / Librettist
Christoph Kuffner
| 1780-1846Christoph Kuffner was an Austrian poet and author for the Vienna Journal of Art, Literature and Fashion. He gained fame as a lyricist for Ludwig van Beethoven's compositions. Among other works, he wrote the lyrics for Choral Fantasy, Op. 80. Personal details
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Arranger
Urs Stäuble
| 1951Urs Stäuble studied at the Conservatory of the Music Academy in Basel (organ with Eduard Müller, piano with Klaus Linder) and at the University of Music in Vienna (organ with Michael Radulescu, orchestral conducting with Karl Österreicher, choral conducting with Günther Theuring). In addition to teaching at the Basel Music Academy (1980–2016), he worked as an organist and choir and orchestra conductor in various European countries and Australia. Personal details
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Translator
Natalia Macfarren
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Frequent questions about this work
Can I also use the “normal” vocal score /03 and the choral score /05 from the full-scale version to sing the version presented here?
Can the string parts of the original version (Carus 10.394/00) also be used for the arrangement?
Is piano part 10.394/98 the original piano part by Beethoven? Is it possible to purchase it?
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