The Works of Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in 1770. As a teenager, he took piano lessons from Mozart. Some years later, Beethoven would share with Mozart the distinction of being one of the greatest composers who had ever lived. Just as Bach defined the Baroque period of music history, the Classical phase is most closely identified with Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Yet, the Thundering Titan is also viewed as the main link between the Classical and Romantic eras. Most of Beethoven's career was financed by patronage, notably of four wealthy nobles: Lichnowsky, Lobkowitz, Rasumovsky and Esterhazy. He also made some tidy sums now and then when his works were published. Unlike Mozart, he never married. Considering what we know of his prickly personality, maybe that was the best decision all around! Beethoven was quite prolific in his life of 56 years. He was also quite careless with his manuscripts: it was not uncommon for him to use freshly-scored sheet music as a lid for one of his cooking pots. In the years following his death in 1827, previously unknown (and unpublished) compositions of his have been discovered, many of which have been recorded. It's really impossible to be sure that any list of Beethoven's works is complete but the following list is considered accurate. Beethoven had no cataloguer. Here, we have to rely on opus numbers. (The word "opus" is Latin for work. It's interesting to note that the word's plural is "opera.") Opus numbers shouldn't be viewed as a key to the chronological history of a composer's career because the first work published is often not the first work composed. Those works, which weren't published, will have no Opus number in the first column. Opus Work 1a 1b 1c 2a 2b 2c 3 4 5a 5b 6 7 Piano Trio in E Flat Piano Trio in G Piano Trio in C Minor Piano Sonata in F, No. 1 Piano Sonata in A, No. 2 Piano Sonata in C, No. 3 String Trio in E Flat String Quintet in E Flat Cello and Piano Soanta in F Cello and Piano Sonata in G Minor Sonata for Two Pianos in D Piano Sonata in E Flat Year 1793-95 1793-95 1793-95 1795 1795 1795 1792 1796 1796 1796 1796 1796
8 9a 9b 9c 10a 10b 10c 11 12a 12b 12c 13 14a 14b 15 16
Serenade in D String Trio in G String Trio in D String Trio in C Minor Piano Sonata in C Minor, No. 1 Piano Sonata in F Piano Sonata in D Piano Trio in B Flat Violin Sonata in D Violin Sonata in A Violin Sonata in E Flat Piano Sonata in C Minor (Pathetique) Piano Sonata in E, No. 1 Piano Sonata in G, No. 2 Piano Concerto #1 in C Piano Quintet in E Flat (Beethoven also published an arrangement for Piano Quartet of this same work as Op. 16) Cello & Piano Soanta in F String Quartet in F String Quartet in G String Quartet in D String Quartet in C Minor String Quartet in A String Quartet in B Flat
1797 1797-98 1797-98 1797-98 1796-98 1796-98 1796-98 1798 1797 1797 1797 1798 1795-99 1795-99 1797 1796
17 18a 18b 18c 18d 18e 18f
1800 17981800 17981800 17981800 17981800 17981800 17981800
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27a 27b 28 29 30a 30b 30c 31a 31b 31c 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
Piano Concerto #2 in B Flat Septet in E Flat Symphony #1 in C Piano Sonata in B Flat Violin Sonata in A Minor Violin Sonata in F Serenade in A Piano Sonata in A Flat Piano Sonata in E Flat, No. 1 Piano Sonata in C Sharp Minor, No. 2 (Moonlight) Piano Sonata in D (Pastoral) String Quintet in C Violin Sonata in A Violin Sonata in C Minor Violin Sonata in G Piano Sonata in G, No. 1 Piano Sonata in D Minor, No. 2 Piano Sonata in E Flat, No. 3 Songs: "Die du So Gern" and "An Die Hoffnung" Seven Bagatelles (Piano)
1795/98 17991800 17991800 1800 1801 1801 1797 1801 1801 1801 1801 1801 1802 1802 1802 1802 1802 1802 1804 17991802
Six Variation on an Original Theme 1802 15 Variations with Fugue on a "Prometheus" Theme Symphony #2 in D Piano Concerto #3 in C Minor 1802 1802 1800
Piano Trio in E Flat (arranged from 1802 Septet, Op. 20)
39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49a 49b 50 51a 51b 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59a 59b
Two Preludes (covering all major keys)
1789
Romance for Violin & Orchestra in 1803 G Serenade in D Notturno for Piano and Viola in D Overture to "Creatures of Prometheus" 1803 1804 1800-01
14 Variations on Original Theme in 1792 E Flat Three Marches Songs: "Einsam Wandelt" and "Adelaide" Violin Sonata in A (Kreutzer) Six Songs Piano Sonatina in G Minor Piano Sonatina in G 1802 1795 1803 1803 1796 1796
Romance for Violin & Orchestra in 1802 F Rondo in C (Piano) Rondo in G (Piano) Eight Songs Piano Sonata in C (Waldstein) Piano Sonata in F Symphony #3 in E Flat (Eroica) "Triple" Concerto in C Piano Sonata in F Minor (Appassionata) Piano Concerto #4 in G "Rasumovsky" String Quartet in F "Rasumovsky" String Quartet in E 1796 1801 17851792 1804 1804 1803 1804-05 1804 1805-06 1806 1806
Minor 59c 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 "Rasumovsky" String Quartet in C Symphony #4 in B Flat Violin Concerto in D Overture to "Coriolan" Trio in E Flat (Arrangement of String Quintet, Op. 4) Piano and Cello arrangement of String Trio (Op. 3) Scene: "Ah Perfido" 12 Variations on "A Maiden or a Pretty Little Wife" (from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute") Symphony #5 in C Minor Symphony #6 in F (Pastoral) Cello and Piano Sonata in A Piano Trio in D Piano Trio in E Flat Wind Sextet in E Flat Opera: Fidelio "Leonora" Overture #2 "Leonora" Overture #3 "Fidelio" Overture Piano Concerto #5 in E Flat (Emperor) String Quartet in E Flat (Harp) Six Songs Six Variations on a theme from "Ruins of Athens" Fantasia in G Minor Piano Sonata in F Sharp Major 1806 1806 1806 1807 Unknown 1792 1796 1797
67 68 69 70a 70b 71 72 72a 72b 72c 73 74 75 76 77 78
1805-07 1807-08 1808 1808 1808 1796 1803-05 1805 1806 1814 1809 1809 1809 1809 1809 1809
79 80 81a 81b 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102a
Piano Sonatina in G Minor Fantasy: "Schmeichelnd Hold" Piano Sonata in E Flat (Les Adieux) Sextet in E Flat Four Ariettas and a Duet Three Songs Overture & Incidental Music to "Egmont" Oratorio: "Christus Am Olberge" Mass in C Trio in C for oboes and horn (also arranged for violins/viola) Songs: "Das Gluck der Fruendschaft" and "Der Lebt" Polonaise in C Piano Sonata in E Minor Wellington's Victory Symphony #7 in A Symphony #8 in F
1809 1808 1809 1795 1809 1810 1810 1802 1807 1795 1803 1814 1814 1813 1812 1812
Songs: "Ob Ein Gott Sei?" and "An 1815 Die Hoffnung" String Quartet in F Minor Violin Sonata in G Piano Trio in B Flat (Archduke) Six Songs (To The Distant Beloved) Songs: "Du Sagest Freund" and "Der Mann von Wort" Duet: "Merkenstein" Piano Sonata in A Cello and Piano Sonata in C 1810 1812 1811 1816 1816 1815 1818 1815
102b Cello and Piano Sonata in D 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121a Wind Octet in E Flat
1815 1792
String Quintet in C Minor (arranged 1817 from Trio, Op. 1, No.3) Six Easy Themes with variations Piano Sonata in B Flat (Hammerklavier) Ten National Themes and Variations 25 Scottish Songs Piano Sonata in E Piano Sonata in A Flat Piano Sonata in C Minor Cantata: "Meeresstille und Gluckliche Fahrt" Overture & Incidental Music to "Ruins of Athens" March & Chorus "Schmuckt die Altare" Grand Overture in C ("Namensfeier") "Tremate, Empi Tremate" Overture & Incidental Music to "King Stephen" Song: "Sanft Wie Du Lebtest" 11 Bagatelles (piano) ‘Diabelli' Variations ‘Kakadu' Variations 1818-19 1818 1818-19 1815 1820 1821 1822 1815 1811 1822 1814 1802/14 1811 1814 1820/22 1823 1816 1824 1822-23 1818-23
121b Alternate Setting of "Die Flamme Iodert" & "Opferlied" 122 123 "In Allen Guten Stunden" and "Bundeslied" Missa Solemnis (in D)
124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134
Overture and chorus for "Die Wiehe des Hauses" Symphony #9 in D Minor (Choral) Six Bagatelles String Quartet in E Flat Ariettas: "Ich War Bei" and "Der Kuss" Caprice "Rage Over a Lost Penny" String Quartet in B Flat String Quartet in C Sharp Minor String Quartet in A Minor ‘Grosse Fugue' in B Flat Grand Fugue (Beethoven's arrangement of the finale to String Quartet, Op. 133) for piano duet String Quartet in F Cantata: "Der Glorreiche Augenblick" String Quintet and Fugue in D "Leonora" Overture #1 12 Minuets 12 German Dances 12 Contradances Gratulations Minuet in E Flat Triumphal March for "Tarpeja" Military March in D Two Military Marches in F Rondino in E Flat Clarinet & Bassoon Duet in C
1822 1817-23 1823 1824 1822 1823 1825 1826 1825 1825 1826
135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147a
1826 1814 1817 1807 1795 1795 1801 1822 1813 1816 1809 1792 1792 1792 1792
147b Clarinet & Bassoon Duet in F 147c Clarinet & Bassoon Duet in B Flat
148 149 150 151 152a
1st movement fragment — Violin Concerto in C Music for the Ritterballet Sonatina and Adagio in C Minor Rondo for Piano/Orchestra in B Flat Piano Quartet in E Flat
1800 1790 1795 1797 1785 1785 1785 1791 1812 1792 1792 1796
152b Piano Quartet in D 152c 153 154 155 156 157 Piano Quartet in C Piano Trio in E Flat Trio in One Movement in B Flat Rondo for Violin & Piano in G 12 Variations on "Se Vuol Ballare" by Mozart 12 Variations on "See, the Conquering Hero Comes" (from Handel's oratorio "Solomon") Seven Variations on "Bei Mannern Welche Liebe Fuhlen" (from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute") Variations on a theme by Count Waldstein (piano duet) Six Variations on a Goethe melody (piano duet) Piano Sonata in E Flat
158
1801
159 160 161a
1792 1800 1783 1783 1783 1792 1792 1792 1784 1783
161b Piano Sonata in F 161c 162 163a Piano Sonata in D Piano Sonata in C (Easy) Piano Sonatina in G
163b Piano Sonatina in F 164 165 Rondo in A (Piano) Minuet in E Flat
166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175a
Prelude in F Minor (Piano) Six Minuets Seven Landler Six Landler Andante Favori in F (Piano) Six Allemandes Poco Vivaci (Piano) in E Flat Bagatelle (Fur Elise) Andante Maestoso in C (piano) Ten Cadenzas for Piano Concerti
1786 1795 1797 1801 1804 1795 1818 1810 1826 Unknown Unknown 1783
175b Two Cadenzas for Mozart's 20th Piano Concerto 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 Nine Variations on a March by Dressler
24 Variations on "Venni Amore" by 1790 Righini 13 Variations on "Es War Einman" by Dittersdorf Nine Variations on "Quant e Piu Bello" by Paisiello 1791 1795
Six Variations on "Nel Cor Piu Non 1795 Mi Sento" by Paisiello 12 Variations on "Menuet a la Vigano" by Haibel 12 Variations on a Russian Dance by Wranitzky Six Variations on a Swiss Air Eight Variations on "Une Fievre Brulante" by Gretry Ten Variations on "La Stress, La Stressissima" by Salieri Seven Variations on "Kind, Willst Du" by Winter 1795 1796/97 1798 1797-98 1798 1798
187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 196a 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208
Eight Variations on "Tandeln und Scherzen" in F Six "Easy" Variations on an Original Theme in G Seven Variations on "God Save the King" Five Variations on Arne's "Rule, Britannia"
1799 1800 1804 1804
32 Variations on an Original Theme 1806 Eight Variations on "Ich Hab ein Kleinen Huttchen Nur" Finale to "Gute Nachricht" Finale to "Die Ehrenpforten" Three Equali 1794 1814 1815 1813-14
Cantata: "Todt! Todt!" (on death of 1790 Emperor Josef II) Cantata: "Er Schlummert" (on coronation of Emperor Leopold II) "Rasch Tritt der Tod" and "Gesang der Monche" Four Bars of "O Hoffnung" Lobkowitz Cantata ? ? Act II Introduction & Incidental Music for "Leonora Prohaska ? Canon: Im Arm der Liebe" Canon: "Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta" Canon: Kurz Ist Der Schmerz" Canon: Kurz Ist Der Schmerz" Canon: "Lerne Schweigen, o Freund" 1790 1817 1818 1816 ? ? 1814 ? 1795 1812 1813 1815 1816
209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234
Canon: "Rede Wenn's Um Einen Freund" Canon: "Gluck Zum Neuen Jahr" Canon: "Alles Gute! Alles Schone" Canon: "Hoffmann, Hoffmann" Canon: "O Tobias' Canon: "Edel Sei Der Mensch" Canon: "Schwenke Dich" Canon: "Kuhl, Nicht Lau" Canon: "Signor Abate" Canon: "Ewig Dein" Canon: "Ich Bitt Dich" Canon: "Gluck Zum Neuen Jahr" Canon: "Si Non Per Portas" ? 25 Irish Songs 20 Irish Songs ? 26 Welsh Songs 12 Scottish Songs 12 Songs of Various Nationality Songs: "Schildern Wilst Du" and "Schilderung Madchens" Songs: "Noch Weisst Du Nicht" and "An Einen Saugling" ? "Kriegslied der Oesterreicher" Five Songs "Opferlied" and "Die Flamme Lodert"
1816 1819 1819 1825 1821 1823 1824 1825 1826 Unknown 1819 1815 1825 ? 1813 1813 ? 1817 1815 1815 1783 1784 ? 1797 1790/95 1795
235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253
Songs: "Ich Liebe Dich" and "Zartliche Liebe" Songs: "Ecco Quel Fiero" and "La Partenza" Songs: "Horch, wie Schallt's" and "Der Wachtelschlag" Songs: "Als die Beliebte" and "Der Hoffnung" Arietta: "In Questa Tomba Oscura" Songs: "Ich Denke Dein" and "Andenken" Four Settings of "Sehnsucht" Songs: "Als Mir Noch" and "Lied aus der Ferne" Songs: "Welch Ein Wunderbares" and "Die Liebende" Songs: "Der Fruhling" and "Der Jungling" Songs: "Ich Zieh Ins Feld" and "Des Kreigers Abschied" Songs: "Die Stille Nacht" and "Die Sehnsucht" Songs: "O Das Ich" and "An Die Geliebte" Songs: "Dort Auf Dem" and "Der Bardengeist" Songs: "Wenn Ich Ein" and "Ruf vom Berge" Songs: "Wo Bluht das Blumchen" and "Das Geheimnis" Songs: "Nord Oder Sud" and "So Oder So"
1803 1803 1804 1806 1807 1809 1808 1809 1809 1809 1813 1815/16 1811 1813 1816 1815 1817
Songs: "Lisch Aus Mein Licht" and 1817 "Resignation" Songs: "Wenn Die Sonne" and 1820
"Abendlied" 254 255a Three Songs Songs: "Turteltaube" and "Die Laute Klage" 1795 1809 1813 1820
255b 12 Irish Songs 256 Song: "Gedenke Mein!"
Without Opus Numbers (WoO) Work Two-Part Fugue in D Rondo in C (Piano) Movement in Three Parts Piano Trio in D Quintet in F Three Songs String Quartet in E Flat String Quartet in F Minor String Quartet in C String Quartet in G String Quartet in D String Quartet in B Flat Trio in G Arias: "Prufung des Kussens" & "Mit Madeln Sich Vertragen Songs: "Dein Silber" and "Klage" Song: "To Laura" Six Songs Duet in G (for flutes) Duo in C Flute & Piano Sonata in B Flat Date 1783 1783 1784 1785-95 1785 1785 1786-90 1786-90 1786-90 1786-90 1786-90 1786-90 1787 1790 1790 1790-92 1791 1792 1792 1792
Three Songs "Nei Giorni Tuoi Felici" Songs: Traute Henriette" and "Que le Temps Me Dure" Minuet in A Flat (Piano) Sonata in C for Violin & Piano Allegretto in C Minor (Piano) Arias: "Soll Ein Schuh Mich Drucken" & "O Welch Ein Lieden" Duet for Violin and Cello in E Flat Quintet Fragment in E Flat Sonatina in C Songs: "Keine Klage" and Abschiedgesang" Bagatelle in C Minor 12 Minuets Song: "Plaisir d'Aimer" Allemande in A 12 Contradances Song: "No, Non Turbati" String Quartet in F (arranged from Piano Sonata, Op 14, No 1 Bagatelle in C "Vestas Feuer" Beethoven's Arrangement of his Violin Concerto for piano and orchestra March in C March in B Flat
1792 17931803 1793 1794 1795 1796 1796 1796 1796 1796 1796 1797 1799 1799 1800 1801 1801-02 1802 1803 1803 1807 1809 1810
Piano Quintet (arranged from Piano Sonata 1810 Op. 30, No. 3) Polonaise in D 1810
"Abschiedsgesang" and "Die Stunde Schlagt" Canon: Freundschaft Ist Die Quelle" "Chor Auf Die Verbundeten Fursten" Song: "Merkenstein" "Un Lieto Brindisi" Canon: "Brauchle-Linke" Canon: "Ars Longa, Vita Brevis" Canon: "Gluck Fehl Dir Vor Allem" String Quintet in D Minor Canon: "Hol Euch Der Teufel" Canon: Glaube und Hoffe" Four Waltzes, Five Minuets and Two Landler Song: "Auf, Freunde, Singt Dem Gott" Concert Finale (arranged from Piano Concerto #3) Two Austrian Folksongs and Two Other Songs Allegretto for Piringer (Piano) Canon: Gedenket Heute an Baden" Canon: "Gehabt Euch Wohl" Canon: "Tugend Ist Kein Leere Name" Canon: "Te Solo Adoro" Canon: "Bester Herr Graf" Canon: "Falstaff, Lass Dich Sehen" Six Ecossaises Song: "Der Edle Mensch" "Die Flamme Iodert" and "Opferlied" Waltz in E Flat (Piano)
1814 1814 1814 1814 1814 1815 1816 1817 1817 1819 1819 1819 1819 1820 1820 1821 1822 1822 1822 1823 1823 1823 1823 1823 1823 1824
Canon: "Gott Ist Eine Feste Burg" Canon: "Das Schone Zu Dem Guten" Canon: "Doktor Sperrt Das Thor Dem Tod" Canon: "Ars Longa, Vita Brevis" Canon: "Freu Dich Des Lebens" Canon: "Ich War Hier, Doktor" Ecossaise in E Flat Sketches for a Tenth Symphony Waltz in D Andante Maestoso in C Canon: "Es Muss Seyn" Canon: "Da Ist Das Werk" 12 Waltzes 12 Ecossaises
1825 1825 1825 1825 1825 1825 1825 1825 1825 1826 1826 1826 Unknown Unknown
Beethoven's Arrangement of 1st movement Unknown of String Trio in E flat (Op. 3) for piano, cello and violin Ecossaise in D Ecossaise in G Unknown Unknown
Lustig Traurig: Zwei Kleine Klavierstucke Unknown Rondo in B Flat (Piano) Sonata Movement (Piano) in F Song: "Primo Amore Piacer del Ciel" Song: "Veggio Languir Chi Adoro" Trio Arranged from Sextet in E Flat (Op. 81b) Arrangements of more than 50 folksongs 12 Vocal Quartets In Italian Seven Vocal Trios in Italian Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Five Vocal Duets in Italian Scherzo in G Grenadier March in F Allegro in G Adagio in F
Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown