DAILY DOSE of BEETHOVEN (May 20,2020)

Equali means for equal instruments. It is often for four trombones and usually for funeral music. Beethoven wrote three of them for his friend Franz Xaver Glöggl, in 1812 in Linz. Here is a recollection of the event as recorded in Thayer’s biography, Life of Ludwig van Beethoven:

”Franz Gloggl—later a music publisher in Vienna, then fifteen years old and still living in the house of his father, Franz Xaver Gloggl, in Linz—shortly before his death (1872) wrote down his reminiscences of Beethoven, placing them at the disposal of the author for use in this work.”

"Beethoven," he wrote, "was on intimate terms of friendship with my father, Kapellmeister of the cathedral in Linz, and when he was there in 1812, he was at our house every day and several times took meals with us. My father asked him for an equale for 6 trombones, as in his collection of old instruments he had a soprano and a quart trombone, whereas only alto, tenor and bass trombones were commonly used. Beethoven wanted to hear an equale such as was played at funerals in Linz, and one afternoon when Beethoven was expected to dine with us, my father appointed three trombone players and had them play an equale as desired, after which Beethoven sat down and composed one for 6 trombones, which my father had his trombonists play, etc.”.

They were later performed, with added words, for Beethoven’s own funeral in 1827.