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Beethoven - Für Elise - Piano & Orchestra
https://youtu.be/e4d0LOuP4UwPiano version
The Story Behind Für Elise
Für Elise (which is German for For Elise) was composed by
Ludwig van Beethoven around 1810 when he was 40 years old and firmly
established as one of the greatest composers in history. It is named "Für
Elise" because a Beethoven researcher named Ludwig Nohl claimed to have
seen this dedication on the original autograph which has been missing since,
and this has been the cause of some speculation. The piece was not published
until 1865 well after Beethoven's death in 1827, and no distinct records,
letters, or accounts from people at the time make mention of an
"Elise" in the composer's life. Beethoven was in love with a woman
named Therese Malfatti around the time he created the work, and one of the
theories that has circulated for a long time has been that Ludwig Nohl misread
the composer's poor handwriting which then would have said "Für
Therese". That's quite a stretch in my own humble opinion. It is also
unreasonable to expect that all aquaintances from 200 years ago can be
accounted for, especially when the subject is a man who increasingly withdrew
himself from the world because of his hearing loss.
In 2009 a Beethoven researcher named Klaus Martin Kopitz
made the claim that "Elise" may have been the nickname of opera
singer Elisabeth Röckel whom the composer met a few years prior to writing the
piece. The two enjoyed a close friendship according to stories told by Röckel
herself, but she would later marry Beethoven's on-and-off friend and rival
Johann Nepomuk Hummel. According to Kopitz, the church records for the christening
of Röckel's first child in 1814 give her own name as Maria Eva Elise. He found
the records in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, suggesting that Röckel may
indeed have been known as "Elise" at least in Viennese circles.
After researching this piece I also came across other
theories to explain the dedication, although I am personally quite intrigued by
the recent discoveries of Kopitz. One less well documented theory claims that
the name "Elise" was used as a general term for "sweetheart",
but I have been unable to substantiate this claim despite seeing it a few
places. In my own opinion it would not fit well with Beethoven's composing and
dedication history. However, whether Elise was misread, a known or unknown love
or a woman who simply inspired Beethoven to write this piece, it remains one of
many unsolved mysteries left to ponder.
It is interesting to note that Ludwig van Beethoven
re-visited the piece in 1822, but it remained as sketches that were never
released in his lifetime. The intentions behind picking up the work more than
decade later are not known. While the revised version appears somewhat
incomplete there are significant changes to the accompaniment as well as new
material added.
Free Für Elise MIDI File Download
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