DAILY DOSE of BEETHOVEN (July 28, 2020)

The 12 Contredanses (WoO 14), were composed relatively early in Beethoven’s musical career, between 1792-1802, after he came to Vienna to study with Haydn. These fun public dances were a large part of Viennese cultural life. Both Haydn and Mozart excelled at composing music for these public dance music (also called Redoutensaal). While these musical masters composed them relatively late in their careers, Beethoven, under the tutorage of Haydn, composed his at the beginning of his composing life.

If Contredanse #7 sounds familiar to you, it’s because it appears in the Finale of the "Eroica" Symphony, as well as in “The Creatures of Prometheus”.