Description
The surviving autograph manuscript of the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Cello Sonata in A major, Op. 69 offers a fascinating glimpse into the composer's creative process. Preserved at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, it is the only surviving autograph of the sonata, although it is widely believed that at least two complete manuscripts of the entire work once existed. If so, the remaining movements have unfortunately been lost.
At first glance, the opening pages appear elegant and carefully written. As the music progresses, however, the manuscript becomes increasingly filled with corrections, rewritten passages, and layers of revisions. Rather than presenting a finished masterpiece, it captures Beethoven at work - experimenting, reconsidering, and refining his musical ideas.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the manuscript is how clearly it reveals Beethoven's evolving musical language. The autograph version still retains many features of the Classical style: the dynamic contrasts are generally lighter, and several passages in the piano part are written in flowing triplets. In the published version, Beethoven replaced many of these passages with powerful unison semiquaver figures in both hands, creating a broader, more orchestral sonority. The manuscript thus documents not only the genesis of a single masterpiece but also Beethoven's transition toward the bold, dramatic style of his middle period.
A scholarly edition of this autograph was prepared by Sieghard Brandenburg (1938–2015), the former director of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn and one of the leading Beethoven scholars of his generation. Unfortunately, this edition is now out of print and has become difficult to obtain.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the first complete performance on YouTube based on Beethoven's original autograph version of the first movement, presented alongside the composer's own manuscript. To encourage further study of this remarkable source, I have also made a PDF edition of the piano score and the cello part available free of charge on my website for educational purposes.
More than two centuries after it was written, Beethoven's autograph still allows us to witness his imagination in motion. Every correction and every revision brings us one step closer to understanding how one of the greatest masterpieces of the cello repertoire came into being.
For those who would like to explore this fascinating source themselves, I have prepared a modern performing edition of the autograph version. Since large portions of the movement are identical to the familiar first printed edition, the PDF piano score includes only the passages that differ from the standard text, together with all abbreviated sections written out in full. The pages have been formatted so that they can be cut out and pasted directly over the corresponding pages of the Henle Urtext edition. The modified piano score is available as free PDF download from my website for educational purposes.
Performed by:
Božo Paradžik, double bass
Maria Sofianska, piano
Recorded in July 2025