Fantasie für Klavier, Chor und Orchester (c-Moll) op. 80

Listening samples

	Adagio (365 kB)
	Finale. Allegro - Meno allegro (Allegretto) - Allegro molto - (365 kB)
	Adagio ma non troppo - (365 kB)
	Marcia assai vivace - Allegro - (365 kB)
	Allegretto ma non troppo quasi andante con moto "Schmeichelnd hold und lieblich klingen" - (365 kB)
	Presto (365 kB)

Composition
1808
dedicated to Maximilian Joseph I. König von Bayern

Text poet: Christoph Kuffner

Beethoven composed the choir fantasy op. 80 immediately before its first performance as a final piece for his great concert on December 22nd, 1808 at the "Theater an der Wien". He improvised the piano fantasy while the concert took place as he lacked the necessary time. The long concert also featured the first performance of the Fifth and Sixth Symphony, the fourth piano concert, the aria "Ah perfido" op. 65 as well as parts of the mass op. 86. The concert's extensive programme probably lead to Beethoven falling victim to every conductor's and composer's nightmare: He had to stop the choir fantasy and start again. The composition was completed just in time for the concert so that not many rehearsals could be held. Because of the short time available, Beethoven had not written clearly and correctly (preserved sheet music of the first performance contains a number of wrong measures). Thus the performance resulted in utter confusion as some instruments got out of sync. Beethoven later told the Breitkopf & Härtel publishing house from Leipzig on January 7th, 1809 that mainly the musicians were angry about him interrupting the performance and shouting "Start again". (Original quote in Beethoven complete edition (BGA) 350) (J.R.)

Music manuscripts
	Autograph, op. 80, Partitur der Singstimmen, Partitur
	Überprüfte Abschrift, Fragment, op. 80, Klavierstimme

First editions
	Erstausgabe, op. 80, Partitur, Breitkopf und Härtel, 7907
	Titelauflage, op. 80, Stimmen, Breitkopf und Härtel, 1615, 1657
	Titelauflage, op. 80, Stimmen, Breitkopf und Härtel, 1615, 1657; Teilscan

Scores

Written documents
	Brief an Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, 4. Februar 1810
	Brief an Breitkopf und Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, vor dem 3. Mai 1811
	Brief an Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, 6. Mai 1811, mit beigefügtem Fehlerverzeichnis
	Brief an Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, 20. Mai 1811
	Brief an Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, 9. Oktober 1811
	Brief an Breitkopf und Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, 2. Juli 1810

Literatur

K. M. Kopitz, Wer schrieb den Text zu Beethovens Chorfantasie? : ein unbekannter Bericht über die Uraufführung, Bonner Beethoven-Studien 3, 2003

	Berlin: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Musikabteilung mit Mendelssohn-Archiv
	Frankreich, Paris: Bibliothèque du Conservatoire, in: Bibliothèque nationale de France
	Österreich, Wien: Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Archiv, Bibliothek und Sammlungen

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