Beethoven, Septet op 20

By the time he composed his only piece for the unusual combination of seven instruments (three wind, four strings) – also called Septet and completed in 1800 – Beethoven was 30 years old, had been settled in Vienna for seven years, and deafness had begun to trouble him seriously. But it was still two years before he confessed his unfortunate situation to his brothers in the famous Heiligenstadt Testament. In the meantime, he developed a huge chamber music production to satisfy the musical craving of his noble friends.

But it was also not bad appealing to a wider audience. That is why, in December 1800, in connection with the Septet already published, Beethoven wrote to his publisher: "...in view of the customs, the three wind instruments could be transcribed... for one more violin, one more viola, and one more cello...".

It happened that the nobility and gentry had just discovered nature. So, the music that bourgeois and noble amateurs could play in open-air gatherings was in great demand. For the same reason, the Septet was an immediate success from its release, although Beethoven will always maintain a certain distance with the work. He would later say: "...there is a lot of imagination in it but little art.... At that time I did not know how to compose, now I think I do".

A handsome Beethoven, in 1803

Septet in E flat major, opus 20

Nevertheless, the work exudes great enthusiasm and energy, with no shortage of captivating and attractive solos for the instrumentalists to show off. Written in the style of the divertimentos and serenades of the closing century, its six movements certainly evoke the spirit of those forms that Haydn and Mozart had cultivated with such brilliance and elegance.

Surely made known previously in some prince's parlor, its public premiere took place at the Burgtheater in Vienna on April 2, 1800, together with the Symphony No. 1 and the Piano Concerto No. 2.
It is dedicated to Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, whose strict connection to the maestro we have found somewhat difficult to elucidate.

Movements

Written for violin, viola, cello, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, and horn, the piece consists of six movements:

00       Adagio. Allegro con brio

10:57  Adagio cantabile  

20:47  Tempo di Menuetto  -  borrows its theme from the first movement of the sonata facile Opus 49 No. 2, an earlier composition despite its opus number.

24:02  Theme with variations. Andante 

31:36  Scherzo. Allegro molto e vivace 

34:42  Andante con moto alla marcia. Presto

The performance is by Janine Jansen, leading a group of instrumentalists that the Dutch violinist refers to as "her friends".