Back from France to discover some news that might, um, set the musical world on fire: new research shows that 'Für Elise' may not have been composed by Beethoven, or at least not entirely. Milan's Corriere della Sera carries the story that Italian musicologist Luca Chiantore has researched the topic for eight years and has now presented at the University of Barcelona a case in favour of one Ludwig Nohl.
Apparently Nohl, a young musicologist, discovered Beethoven's notes for the piece in 1865 and used them to construct the work, which was consequently only published some 40 years after LvB's death. Info in English at this forum.
Fancy having to live with 'Für Elise' for eight years... I'm not going to post a Youtube video of the work, because no doubt it will be coming soon to a mobile phone near you. Will Nohl's descendents apply for backdated royalties, I wonder?
Jessica Duchen is a music journalist and the author of four novels, two biographies and several stage works. She writes regularly for The Independent and BBC Music Magazine. Her latest novel, Songs of Triumphant Love, is published by Hodder.
- Donations to Standpoint will be matched £ for £
- Friends of Standpoint — Donations matched £ for £
- Brexit Revolt – The insider account of the EU referendum
- We need your help and support
- Standpoint Presenting Two Debates At HowTheLightGetsIn 2016
- The Compleat Corbyn — a round-up of Standpoint's Corbyn coverage this month
- We Told You So
- Sir Raymond Carr in Standpoint
- Chronicling The Crash: A Standpoint Ebook
- Grounds for Hope
- Is Islam a Peaceful Religion? Daniel Johnson at the Oxford Union
- Standpoint's Autumn Salons
- Win Tickets to the Inaugural Standpoint Salon
- Is Hunter's History Bunk?
- Lawson Collects on Climate Change Bet
- The Cabinet meeting that kept Salman Rushdie alive
- Friends of Russia or Friends of Putin?
- Russia's Win-Win Election
- The Kremlin Plays Old Tricks With Pussy Riot
- A Pyrrhic Victory for Georgian Democracy
- Abandoned in Moscow
- Standpoint's New Facebook Page
- No need to pander to the Bear, Mr Obama
- Govemania
- Standpoint Recommends: The Tacitus Lecture 2012
- Goodbye, Vienna
- Friends Indeed — Daniel Johnson on Gertrude Himmelfarb
- Cyril Ramaphosa's poisoned chalice
- Is South Africa about to fall apart?
- The onslaught against the West's moral codes
- Technology menaces childhood and culture
- Will the genius of the common law survive?
- How Monet created motion pictures
- The Talmudist in the Tower
- Presidents for life Putin and Xi menace the West
7:10 AM
12:10 PM