Sinfonie Nr. 8 (F-Dur) op. 93

Listening samples

	1. Allegro vivace e con brio (365 kB)
	2. Allegretto scherzando (365 kB)
	3. Tempo di Menuetto (365 kB)
	4. Allegro vivace (365 kB)

Composition
Frühjahr bis Oktober 1812

Just like the Fifth and the Sixth Symphony Beethoven composed the Seventh and Eight Symphony shortly after each other. The autograph of the Seventh Symphony op. 92 is dated April 13th, 1812, probably indicating when the piece was finished. Immediately thereafter, Beethoven started working on the Eight Symphony op. 93 which he originally planned as a piano concert as drafts in the Petter draft booklet show. Beethoven must have changed his mind at the latest in late May 1812. In a letter to publishers Breitkopf & Härtel from Leipzig dated around May 25th, Beethoven announced the composition of three new symphonies, of which one was already completed. This one was the Seventh Symphony, one of the others was the Eight and the last one was a project in D minor which he never finished (the Ninth Symphony was then written in D minor years later).

Beethoven spent the summer of 1812 in which he drafted the symphony in Teplitz and other Bohemian spas (Karlsbad and Franzensbad) - quite an eventful summer. He met with poet Goethe (and called him a sycophant courtier) and wrote the emotional letter to the "immortal lover" whose recipient still remains a mystery.
The date and place which Beethoven noted down on the autograph of the Eight Symphony - Linz, October 1812 - marks the day when the composer started writing down the score. He might have finished the symphony as early as late 1812 but was certainly done in March 1813 when he offered two completely new symphonies (Seventh and Eight) to concert organiser Joseph von Varena.

During a private rehearsal of both new symphonies op. 92 and op. 93 at Archduke Rudolph's "Hofburg", Beethoven heard his works for the first time. Because of his bad health, the performance was postponed several times and finally took place on April 21st, 1813. This rehearsal might have resulted in the adaptation of the ending of the first movement of op. 93 which Beethoven exchanged once more. The Eight Symphony was performed for the first time together with the tercet "Tremate, empi, tremate" op. 116 in the hall "Redoutensaal" in Vienna on February 27th, 1814. The programme also included the Seventh Symphony op. 92 and the "Battle of Vitoria" op. 91. (J.R.)

Music manuscripts
	Skizzen, BH 122
	Skizzen, HCB Mh 59
	Skizzen, HCB Mh 86
	Skizzen, NE 126
	Autograph, op. 93, Schluß des 1. Satzes, Partitur
	Autograph Hummels, Entwurf, op. 93, 1. Satz, Bearbeitung von Johann Nepomuk Hummel für Klavier, Flöte, Violine und Cello, Partitur

First editions
	Originalausgabe, op. 93, Partitur, Steiner, 2570

Scores

Written documents
	Brief an Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, um den 25. Mai 1812
	Brief an Nikolaus Zmeskall, Wien, 22. April 1813
	Billet an Herrn Hartmann, Wien, vor dem 23. Februar 1814
	Eigentumsbestätigung für Sigmund Anton Steiner, Wien, 29. April 1815
	Eigentumsbestätigung für Sigmund Anton Steiner, Wien, 20. Mai 1815
	Brief an Johann Peter Salomon in London, Wien, 1. Juni 1815
	Brief an Sigmund Anton Steiner, Wien, nach dem 9. Januar 1817
	Billet an Tobias Haslinger, Wien, vielleicht Februar 1823

Pictures
	"Die neun Symphonien grüßen ihren sterbenden Schöpfer, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree als Beethoven bei der Aufführung des gleichnamigen Dramas in London" - Reproduktion einer Zeichnung von Fred Pegram, 1909 ?
	Beethovens Sinfonie Nr. 8 (F-dur, op. 93) - Fotografie eines Gemäldes von Radu Dragomir, um 1971

Literatur

	Berlin: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Musikabteilung mit Mendelssohn-Archiv
	München: Stadtbibliothek
	Frankreich, Paris: Bibliothèque du Conservatoire, in: Bibliothèque nationale de France
	Polen, Kraków: Biblioteka Jagiellonska
	Österreich, Wien: Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Archiv, Bibliothek und Sammlungen
	Österreich, Wien: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

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