Opferlied Op. 121b

[David]

I want to share with you Beethoven's Opferlied (Song of Offering), Op. 121b. Friedrich von Matthisson's poem attracted Beethoven throughout his lifetime. It was a constant source of inspiration; over a thirty-year period he returned to it to complete four different settings. The final line of the poem--das Schoene zu dem Guten (beauty to the good)--provided a motto that Beethoven kept on his desktop. This song has proved to be an endless well of inspiration to me, as well, so I am sharing a recording of it with the music score in its piano & four-part vocal reduction. You may find yourselves falling in love with it, too. Enjoy it!



see next post for MP3 & remaining score mimeographs