Duet "with 2 obligato Eyeglasses"

including the Minuetto

By Ludwig van Beethoven

This is an excellent reconstruction of a "hastily written and partly illegible" manuscript (in the words of one of the editors). The dynamic markings are all by the editors, and they all seem reasonable. The first movement is a real Beethoven sonata allegro, with viola and cello treated qite equally...

. It is technically quite challenging. The second movement, a minuet, is technically much easier. In the main section, the viola leads - there is a typically Beethovenian darkening of the harmony before the end of the section. The trio section is quite contrapuntal. This is highly recommended for reasonably accomplished players.

Beethoven died before completing this piece (if he ever intended to), but the 2 movements that he did finish are utterly charming. The first movement is an Allegro in 4, and the second is a somewhat shorter Minuet. It is so nice to have quality original music for viola and...

cello, especially by one of the masters. There is a little bit of the stratosphere (high notes/thumb position) in the cello part, but otherwise it is quite accessable technically.