Evolution of an Edition, Part 3: A Missing Link in the Case of Beethoven's Opus 2

Abstract

In the 9 March 1796 issue of the Wiener Zeitung , Artaria & Co. announced the publication of Beethoven's latest works, the three Sonatas for Piano, op. 2. Beethoven had completed the sonatas by the early autumn of 1795, but they did not appear in print until March of 1796, while Beethoven was away from Vienna on an extended concert tour. The new sonatas proved to be a challenge for the original publisher, whose first edition is full of errors. How then could Artaria so boldly claim in its announcement that the edition benefited from "the greatest possible attention to beauty and accuracy"? The evidence of Artaria's diligence resides in the existence of multiple proof copies of the edition, each containing handwritten corrections and instructions for revising the music plates. One of these proof copies, which was purchased at Sotheby's auction in 2009 by private collector Matthew Malerich, represents the earliest extant state of the edition, engraved from an autograph manuscript that is now lost. It shows numerous corrections that were likely supervised by Beethoven and possibly marked in his hand. The purpose of this addendum to my previous article, "Punches, Proofs, and Printings: The Seven States of Artaria's First Edition" ( Notes 57, no. 2 [December 2000]: 289-329) is to describe and compare this newly discovered source to other proof copies located in San José, California, and Berlin. The three edited proof copies provide uncommon documentation of the earliest stages of the publication process. By tracking the amendments to the Malerich copy and its descendents, we may gain a better understanding of the collaboration between composers, proofreaders, and engravers in the publication of new music at the end of the eighteenth century.