Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Elegischer Gesang (Elegiac Song) in memory of Eleonore Pasqualati, the wife of his long-standing friend and patron Johann Baptist Freiherr von Pasqualati zu Osterberg, who died young. The short choral piece, alternating between quiet pain and drama and with a discreet string accompaniment, was published for the first time in 1826. In addition to the vocal and string parts, there is a piano part which can be used as an alternative to the strings. This piano part is used as the basis of the Carus vocal score. A performance with just chorus and piano is therefore possible – although not the original version, this was one which was widespread from the beginning.
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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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Editor
Uwe Wolf
| 1961As a musicologist, Dr. Uwe Wolf is particularly at home in the 17th and 18th centuries. The focus of his work ranges from the time of Monteverdi and Schütz to Bach and the generation of Bach's sons and pupils through to Viennese Classicism. He has been head of the editorial department at Carus-Verlag since October 2011. Prior to this, he worked in Bach research for over 20 years. Personal details