Beethoven, Romance for violin No 2

It is generally accepted that the two romances for violin and orchestra were composed around 1802 or 1803. Years that are not exactly encouraging for Beethoven. In 1802 he wrote a document – the famous Heiligenstadt Testament – addressed to his two brothers, Karl and Johann, to whom he confessed with deep regret his deafness, lamenting that he, a musician, had to suffer from such ailment. Despite this intimate confession, the document has been written "to be read after my death."

Overcoming rejection
To make matters worse, that same year he fell in love with his pupil Giulietta Guicciardi, to whom he dedicated the Moonlight sonata. The "damigella contessa" had given the maestro a tepid hope of being reciprocated, but by the end of the year the relationship was completely cooled down. However, Ludwig will show that he is capable of overcoming everything, for very soon afterwards he will begin work on his third symphony, as well as finishing the romanzas or refine the work for publication.

Beethoven, in 1803
by Ch. Horneman

An unfinished concerto
As hinted, it is likely that the two violin romances were written much earlier. What is not in doubt is the date of their publication: No. 1 in G major (which is actually the second) was published in 1803, and No. 2 (the first), in F major, in 1805.

The conjecture comes from the fact that in his youth, around 1790 – Beethoven is twenty years old – he left a violin concerto unfinished, of which his first movement, written in C major, is known.

G and F chords
Not only the harmonic proximity (G and F chords are, respectively, the dominant and subdominant of the C key) but also their stylistic affinity have led to think that, most likely, the romances were originally written for being incorporated, one or the other, as a slow movement to that concerto that did not come to an end. That would not be strange if we remember that Mozart entitled the slow movement of his Concerto No. 20, precisely, "Romance".

What cannot be doubted, in my modest opinion, is that at least in the gently lyrical Romance No. 2 in F major, Opus 50, we are dealing with a strictly classical Beethoven, the early Beethoven than once he was.
It lasts for less than nine minutes.

The rendition is by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by Kurt Masur, with Renaud Capuçon as the soloist.