C) Page of a letter from Beethoven to George Thomson, Vienna, 15th February 1817 - Literature, History and Music

Between 1803 and 1819 Beethoven set nearly 130 melodies for Thomson. In this letter Beethoven asks how simple the songs must be; advises Thomson to separate songs of similar type to avoid monotony; and says how much he charges for his work. Beethoven writes in French. From the Middle Ages to the present day Scottish literature and music has been affected by outside influences and how those outsiders have received Scottish work. The most noticeable change is the move from Latin or French to works in broad Scots or English. George Thomson (1757-1851) was an Edinburgh civil servant and an ardent collector of folksongs, but he found that many lacked verses or were regarded as objectionable to the taste of the day. He asked Burns (1759-96), Scott (1771-1832) and others to make up these deficiencies and then commissioned Haydn (1732-1809), Beethoven (1770-1827) and other leading composers to provide the accompaniments.

Collection

Treasures: National Library of Scotland

Inventory Number

4502098

Title

C) Page of a letter from Beethoven to George Thomson, Vienna, 15th February 1817 - Literature, History and Music

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

- 200 x 235mm