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Images 1 to 6
Originally, the first sheet was not part of the manuscript and is not included in the paging. It was later stapled to the flyleaf. The sheet contains the theme given by publisher and composer Anton Diabelli. It consists not of one melody but a complete musical movement as well as sketches on the variations 2 and 23 from 1819. The sketches written on the initially empty lines 3, 6 etc. were latter scratched out by Beethoven. The composer hardly used red ink.
The first sheet of the actual manuscript contains variation 1. It was written down very carefully. Obviously Beethoven wanted to make a clean copy to facilitate the first engraving or improve readability for copying purposes. As can be seen later, he was not quite able to follow his resolution. His spontaneity and efforts to create a perfect musical version were just too overwhelming.
On page 4 on the left side Beethoven wrote "x nach London" (x to London) in red ink. This remark refers to a correction in the next 1st measure. The correction had to be included in a copy that was to be sent to London as an engraving template (Beethoven-Haus, HCB Mg 55). In addition, Beethoven listed these late corrections in a correction list in a sketch book (Beethoven-Haus, HCB Mh 60, fig. 20-22).
Variation 14 cost Beethoven a lot of effort. In the middle of the sheet at the beginning of the variation he wrote: "N[ota]b[ene]: Var: 14 folgendermaßen bey den sich gleichenden Stellen die Untereinandersezung der Note" (Note: variation 14 as follows for identical parts the note placement below each other) (refers to the use of two points with demisemiquavers and hemidemisemiquavers). He then noted the first version of the variation on three pages. Dissatisfied with the result, he glued a piece of paper over the bottom part of page 29 with red sealing wax.
Page 30 was pasted over, too. The new sheet contains the rest of the final version of variation 14.
Because Beethoven wrote the second version in a narrower handwriting, page 31 still shows the original end of the first version. It was then crossed out with buoyant circles in pencil and marked as to be skipped with "Vi=de". The last five measures of both versions can be compared easily. The first version remains unfinished. The score (see measure 1) is incomplete and there is no dynamic information. The repeat sign at the end is also missing.
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