"The Effect Was the Same, but Not for the Eye." From Playability to Augenmusik in Beethoven’s Arrangement of His Grande Fugue Op. 133/134

Authors

• Elisa Novara, German Historical Institute, RomeFollow

Abstract

Beethoven’s four-hands piano transcription of the Grande Fugue Op. 134 is different from any other arrangement he ever made: firstly, it is given an opus number, which is something that conventional Klavierauszüge usually do not have; secondly, it has a dedication, namely to Beethoven’s patron and pupil the Archduke Rudolf. Third, it is notoriously so difficult to play that it barely fulfils the primary function of four-hands piano transcriptions in the 19th century, i.e. a more easily accessible performance medium, which would have resulted in a better circulation of the work.

A more conventional transcription of Op. 133 might have been made by Anton Halm in April 1826, but it has not survived: Beethoven rejected it, after having examined it, and decided to write one by himself. The reasons why the composer might have wanted to realize this demanding project at this point of his life and career remain mysterious. Halm’s report about Beethoven’s judgement of his work focused on the fragmentation of the parts between the two players. Halm’s arrangement probably “sounded” like the Grande Fugue, but it did not “look” like it.

This paper discusses Beethoven’s sources for the transcription of the Grande Fugue Op. 134, in particular for the first fugal section. I argue, based on evidence provided by his ongoing revisions of the disposition of the parts and of the subjects, that Beethoven’s concern in arranging the Fugue was to preserve the contrapuntal structure in such a way that it could still be clearly read and understood as such.

Finally, I propose to reinterpret this extraordinary arrangement by reconsidering both the importance of its dedication as well as the beginning of a new function of four-hands piano arrangements, as a learning tool for understanding Beethoven’s late quartets.

Recommended Citation

Novara, Elisa (2026) ""The Effect Was the Same, but Not for the Eye." From Playability to Augenmusik in Beethoven’s Arrangement of His Grande Fugue Op. 133/134," The Beethoven Journal: Vol. 38, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55917/2771-3938.1035
Available at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/beethovenjournal/vol38/iss1/5