Variations on a Motive of Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (arr. Gordon Ring)

General Info

Year: 1826 / 2019 / 2020
Duration: c. 9:25
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: String Quartet
Publisher: Gordon Ring Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $30.00

Instrumentation (Flexible)

Full Score
Part 1

• Flute
• Oboe
• B-flat Soprano Clarinet
• B-flat Trumpet

Part 2

• B-flat Soprano Clarinet
• E-flat Alto Saxophone
• B-flat Trumpet

Part 3

• B-flat Soprano Clarinet
• E-flat Alto Saxophone
• B-flat Trumpet
• Horn in F

Part 4

• Bassoon
• B-flat Tenor Saxophone
• Horn in F
• Trombone
• Euphonium

Part 5

• Bassoon
• B-flat Bass Clarinet
• E-flat Baritone Saxophone
• Trombone
• Euphonium
• Tuba

Timpani
Percussion (optional)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The motive on which this work is based is found as the opening four melodic notes of sixth movement (of seven) in Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, op. 131.

This sixth movement, as numbered by Beethoven in the score, serves as a slow introduction to, and moves without pause, directly into the seventh movement Allegro which concludes the work.

Beethoven first discussed the composition of this work in December 1825, and the work was completed by July 1826. However, it did not appear in a published version until June 1827, three months after the composer’s death. The score is dedicated to the Baron Joseph von Stutterheim.

Unlike a typical theme and variations, Beethoven’s motive serves as a musical generating device in the composition of this work. Following a rescoring of Beethoven’s original sixth movement with metric alteration, the motive becomes a generator of four variations, actually four short pieces, unified by statements of the motive. These statements are inverted, elaborated, and used in several modes.

- Program Note from score

Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Works for Winds by this Composer

Adaptable Music

• Allegretto (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Longfield) (1812/2011)
• Europa (Flex instrumentation) (with Charpentier; arr. Haan) (2009)
• The Great Beethoven Bonanza (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Jones) (2015)
• March of the Guards (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Glover) (1805/2019)
• Ode to Joy (Flex instrumentation (arr. Brand) (1824/2000(?))
• Ode to Joy (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1824/2018)
• Ode to Joy (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1824/2020)
• Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1804-1808/2014)
• Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral" Selections (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Kanayama) (1808/)
• Variations on a Motive of Beethoven (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Ring) (1826/2020)

All Wind Works

• Allegretto (ar. Longfield) (1812/2011)
• Allegretto (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Longfield) (1812/2011)
• The Allegretto from Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 (arr. Evans) (1812/2013)
• Coriolan Overture (tr. Hanna)
• Drei zapfenstreiche
• Écossaise for Military Band (arr. Stalter) (1810/2015)
• Egmont Overture (arr. Winterbottom) (1810/1924)
• Egmont Overture (tr. Hindsley) (1810/197-?)
• Egmont Overture (tr. McLain) (1810/12015)
• Egmont Overture (arr. Tobani) (1810/1900)
• Eroica (arr. Ripley) (1804/1900)
• Europa (Flex instrumentation) (with Charpentier; arr. Haan) (2009)
• The European Anthem (arr. Karajan) (1824/1972)
• Finale to "Symphony No. 5" (arr. Isaac) (1804-1808/1965)
• Finale to "Symphony No. 5" (adapt. Longfield) (1804-1808/2020)
• First and Second Movements from Symphony No. 5 in C minor (arr. Godfrey) (1804-1808/1921)
• Five Short Pieces for Wind Ensemble (arr. Reynolds) (1975)
• For Elise (arr. Long) (1810/1992)
• Für Elise (arr. Hautvast) (1810/2020)
• Für Elise (arr. Korson) (1810/1867/20--?)
• Grand Serenade (arr. Crusell; ed. Rogers) (1800/2004)
• The Great Beethoven Bonanza (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Jones) (2015)
• The Heavens Resound
• Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (arr. Kirkland)
• Leonore Overture No. 3 (tr. Hindsley) (1806/197-?)
• March in B-flat. See: Marsch
• March in F (arr. Dunnigan) (1809/1995)
• March of the Guards (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Glover) (1805/2019)
• Marsch (c. 1798/1865)
• Military March (Beethoven) (adapt. Greissle) (1945)
• Military March in D (ed. Bourgeois) (1816/2003)
• Octet (1792/1834)
• Octet (arr. Byrd) (1792/1834/2021)
• Ode to Joy (arr. Barrett) (1824/1965/1995)
• Ode to Joy (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Brand) (1824/2000(?))
• Ode to Joy (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1824/2018)
• Ode to Joy (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1824/2020)
• Overture to "Fidelio" (arr. Sedlak)
• Piano Concerto No. 1 (arr. Odom) (1795/2019)
• Presto from "Symphony No. 7" (tr. Thompson) (1811/2018)
• Prometheus Overture (arr. Barnes) (1801/1963)
• Prometheus Overture (arr. Slocum) (1801/1987)
• Quintet in E-flat Major, Op 16
• Rocking 4 Elise (arr. Berger) (1810/2014)
• Rondino (1793/195-?)
• Scherzo and Finale from the Fifth Symphony (arr. Godfrey) (1804-1808/1920)
• Scherzo from "Symphony No 9" (arr. Bocook) (1824/2004)
• Sextet (1796)
• Siegess­in­fonie
• Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: Mvt. 1 (arr. Yu) (1800/2014?)
• Symphony No. 1 Op. 21 (tr. Schmitt; ed. Marlow) (1800/1817/2007)
• Symphony No. 3 (tr. Moehlmann; ed. Rogers) (1804/2020)
• Symphony No. 5 in C minor (arr. Godfrey)
  • First and Second Movements (arr. Godfrey). See: First and Second Movements from Symphony No. 5 in C minor
  • Third and Fourth Movements (arr. Godfrey). See: Scherzo and Finale from the Fifth Symphony
• Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1804-1808/2014)
• Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral" Selections (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Kanayama) (1808/)
• Symphony No. 7 (arr. Wedlak) (1812/1989?)
• Symphony No. 9 (tr. Vives) (1822-1824/2013)
• Three Equale
• Marcia alla turca (arr. Rondeau) (1809/2011)
• Turkish March (arr. Curnow) (1809/2001)
• Variations on a Motive of Beethoven (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Ring) (1826/2020)
• The Yorck Marche. See: March in F

Resources

• Creative Repertoire Initiative
• Ring Music website Accessed 15 October 2020
• Perusal score