Für Elise

"Für Elise" (German for "For Elise") is the popular name of the bagatelle in A minor WoO 59, marked "poco moto", a piece of music for solo piano by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), dated 27 April 1810.

Beethoven scholars are not entirely certain who "Elise" was. The most reasonable theory is that Beethoven originally titled his work "Für Therese", Therese being Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza (1792-1851), whom Beethoven intended to marry in 1810 and was also one of his students. However, she declined Beethoven's proposal. In 1816 Therese, who was the daughter of the Viennese merchant Jacob Malfatti von Rohrenbach (1769-1829), married the Austrian nobleman and state official Wilhelm von Droßdik (1771-1859) [Michael Lorenz: "Baronin Droßdik und die verschneyten Nachtigallen. Biographische Anmerkungen zu einem Schubert-Dokument", "Schubert durch die Brille" 26, (Tutzing: Schneider, 2001), pp. 47-88.] When the work was published in 1865, the discoverer of the piece, Ludwig Nohl, mistranscribed the illegible title as "Für Elise". The autograph is lost. [This theory is spelled out in Max Unger, translated by Theodore Baker, "Beethoven and Therese von Malfatti," "The Musical Quarterly" 11, no. 1 (1925): 63-72.] Another theory is that 'Elise' was used to describe a sweetheart during Beethoven's time. If this is true, then the piece is dedicated to sweethearts in general, with no specific person in mind. However this theory is unlikely because it doesn't fit well with Beethoven's composing and dedication history.

The music

The piece begins in 3/8 with a right-hand theme accompanied by arpeggios in the left hand; the harmonies used are A minor and E major. Homophony is used here. The next section maintains the same texture, but broadens the chord progression to include C major and G major. A lighter section follows, written in the key of F major, then a few bars in C major. The first section returns without alteration; next, the piece moves into an agitated theme set over a Pedal point on A. After a gauntlet of arpeggios and a chromatic scale, the main theme returns, and the piece quietly ends in its starting key of A minor, dying away, with an Authentic Cadence.

Usage

Since 1997, Award Software (now Phoenix Technologies), a computer BIOS supplier, has used Für Elise as a warning of out of spec hardware conditions, for instance a power supply failing to maintain a proper voltage. [http://support.gateway.com/s/tutorials/Tu_845962.shtml] .

In Taiwan, especially in Taipei, garbage collection trucks play the piece to alert householders of their presence.

In Craiova, a southern city of Romania, Für Elise is automatically played when the foot passenger's traffic lights of the main roads light in green color, primarily as an aid to the visually-impaired.

ee also

*Beethoven's Last Night

References

External links

* [http://www.forelise.com/ Für Elise] - and other Beethoven resources (includes the free sheet music)
* Typeset [http://cantorion.org/music/4/F%C3%BCr+Elise sheet music] from "Cantorion.org"
*
* [http://www.guitarchordsmagic.com/guitar-song-chords/fur-elise.html Für Elise For Guitar] - arrangement of the opening part with guitar tabs
* [http://home.swipnet.se/zabonk/cultur/ludwig/beewoo2.htm List of Beethoven's works WoO 51-100]
* [http://www.unheardbeethoven.org/search/search.pl?piece=frel1822.mid Link to a midi of the revised version Beethoven was working on in 1822]
* [http://www.unheardbeethoven.org/search/search.pl?piece=furelise.mp3 Link to an orchestral version created by Jari Eskola]