The Sketch Books of Beethoven stand alone in the history of musical art. We are permitted, as it were, to enter the art-work studio of the great master, to see him moulding and shaping musical figures, and often with the smallest means achieving the grandest ends. Page after page of these precious volumes is at times covered with notes jotted down in the heat of inspiration, and often, apparently, in inextricable confusion; at other times a certain order prevails, and one can follow, longo intervallo, the composer’s train of thought. But even where some plan can be traced, or an intention discovered, there are in most cases sudden breakings off, incomplete bars, or an embarrassing choice offered by oder, besser, & c. Yes, everywhere the pages tell but aa imperfect tale, but one, nevertheless, of deep interest, and often of great importance. Among the Additional Manuscripts of the British Museum are some of these Sketch Books, and of these, one (31,766), purchased of Julian Marshall contains important sketches of the Pastoral Symphony, the sonata in A for pianoforte and violoncello op. 69 the two Pianoforte Trios in D and E-flat ; (Op. 70, Nos. 1 and 2) ; a second (29,997) among other things, includes sketches of the Quartets in C sharp and A Sf; minor (Op. 131 and   while a third consists of
sketches the Scotch Songs. That our national library possesses such treasures ought to be better known. A description of their contents, so far as we are able, to decipher them, will therefore be attempted; and apart from the natural and legitimate curiosity to tracethe workings of genius, to see sonatas and symphonies attempted but left undone, to decipher rough and, at times, unintelligible memoranda, a study of these books may kindle. In minds of musicians fresh interest in music which has long been familiar, and, besides, may throw here and there on it some fresh light. Besides the above-named there is a volume among the Additional Manuscripts numbered 29,801, containing, first, a collection of forty consecutive sheets entitled

No. 16 Beethoven Skizzenbuch B
Skizzen zu den “ Ruinen von Athen. ’ zu “ Konig Stephan,” u.a.m.
40 Blatter zusammen.

This is followed by a larger collection of sheets of various shapes and sizes (163 in number). On. an outside paper cover is written

In ink : Notieungsbich I-43
In pencil : Aus dcr 2ten Messe – Aus der c mo, Sonale Op. 111

All this (not ino the composer’s hand-writing) is, however, scratched through, and so far as we have been able to decipher these sheets, they contain nothing whatever referring to the late period at which the Mass and Sonata were sketched or com­pleted. How these sheets were collected, or how this cover came to be placed before them, appears unknown. On the blank sheet at the commencement of the volume and before the above-mentioned Skizzenbuch, is written —

Purchased of J. Kafka,
12 June, 1875.

The following notice of the former possessor of this volume is taken from Pougin’s Supplement to Fetis’s “ Biographie Universelle des Musiciens” — “ Kafka (Johann-Nepomucene), musicien allemand contemporain, a obtenu une certaine popularite dans sa patrie par la publication d’une enorme quantite’ de petits morceaux de musique légère pour le piano, nocturnes, idylles, melodies, improvisations, rhapsodies, etc. Le nombre de ses compositions en ce genre s’ élève a deux-cents environ. M. Kafka est ne a Neustadt (Bohèeme), le 17 Mai, 1819.” In the British Museum (Add. MSS. 29,803) there is a published Nocturne of his with his autograph and date, yienna, December 10, 1872. The volume contains likewise an autograph of Beethoven’s Cadenza to Mozart’s D minor Concerto and one of a Canzonetta by Rossini.
Beyond the fact that the two collections (theSkizzenbuch and what we may call the Notirungsbuch) were purchased by the British Museum authorities of J. Kafka, we know, as yet, nothing more of their history. It may, however, be mentioned here that Kafka had another Beethoven treasure in his possession, which he offered to the Museum in the In a letter to the Museum in the following year (1876). In a letter to the Museum authorities, dated March 19, 1876, he says, he has “ found out lately ” a sketch-book of Beethoven; and in a second letter, dated March 30, he gives the further information that this sketch-book contains sketches of the “Choral Symphony, Missa Solemnis, the Symphonies 5 and 8, Egmont, &c.” This treasure, we regret to say, was not secured for the Museum, although special interest attached to it, seeing that “Beethoven wrote hts Ninth Symphony for the London Philharmonic Society. Nottebohm, in his “ Beetboveniana,” gives sketches of the Pianoforte Sonata (Op. 49, No. 2) which are in this volume. Now “ Beethoveniana ” was published long before the Notirungsbuch came into the British Museum, but Nottebohm merely refers to the sketches as on a sheet of music paper. In Gustav Nottebohm’s posthumous “ Zweite Beethoveniana,” published in 1887, the editor, E. Mandyczewski, merely describes this Notirungsbuch, which is often quoted, as a “ aus vielen einzelnen Bogen und Blattem zuzammengeheftetes Skizzenheft” (a sketch-book consisting of many detached sheets and leaves stitched together). Attention is here called to the fact that with one or two exceptions all the musical illustrations which will be given in the series of articles now commenced appear in print, so far as we are aware, for the first time. Our readers must, therefore, clearly understand that these articles form,, as it were, not extracts from, but rather a supplement to Nottebohm’s “ Beethoveniana ” and “Zweite Beethoveniana.”
In this so called Notirungsbuch to which, for chronological reasons; we shall first draw the attention of our readers —there are sketches dating from the earliest Bonn period, and towards the close there are sketches of a Symphony in C, which was never completed, and at which Beethoven worked shortly before he wrote the Symphony in C (Op. 21). There are also sketches for the Allegro and the Finale of the Pianoforte Concerto in C minor (Op. 37). Both the Symphony (Op. 21) and the Concerto were completed by the year 1800, and thus the contents of this Notirungsbuch may be said to extend from about 1784 to 1800. Now before examining in detail any of its pages, it will be as well to remind our readers of the works on which the composer was engaged during those sixteen years. The Pianoforte Sonatas (Op. 14, Nos. 1 and 2) appeared in December, 1799, and thus, of the published works, we are concerned with Op. 1 to Op. 14. But, in addition, there are the works with a later opus number than Op. 14, but which were sketched or partially completed before the year 1800.
For convenience of reference the list of published works is given :

Pianoforte Trios in E flat, G and C minor.
Three Pianoforte Sonatas.
Trio for strings in E flat.
Quintet for strings in E flat.
Two Sonatas for violoncello and pianoforte (F and G minor).
Pianoforte Sonata for four hands.
Pianoforte Sonata in E flat.
Serenade for strings.
Three Trios for strings.
Three Pianoforte Sonatas (C minor, F, D).
Pianoforte Trio for pianoforte, clarinet, and violoncello-
Three Sonatas for pianoforte and violin.
Pianoforte Sonata (“Pathttique”).
Two Pianoforte Sonatas (E and G).

The great interest attaching to this Notirungsbuch will at once become evident when it is mentioned that of the above-mentioned works there are sketches of more or less importance of at least eight out of the fourteen.
But of the later published works, there are sketches of the Pianoforte Concertos in C (Op. 15), B flat (Op. 19) C minor (Op. 37), the Quartet in A (Op. 18, No. 5), the Quintet (or pianoforte and wind (Op. 16), the Sextet for wind instruments (Op. 71), the Pianoforte Sonatas (Op 49, Nos. 1 and 2); of various sets of Variations for Pianoforte, 2Adelaide ” (Op. 46), “ Ah! perfido ” (Op. 65), The Opferlied (Op.121b)

The Bonn sketches, if viewed in the right light, will not be found, lacking in interest. In later sketch­books we see the master creating, developing, and completing works which now rank amongst his highest achievements. But here, for the most part, we have to deal with sketches of works of compara­tively slight musical interest, and, as is frequently the case, unfinished. These early efforts of the composer have, nevertheless, an attraction of their own. On sheet seventy we have probably one of the earliest of Beethoven’s sketches. It is a movement entitled “Sinfonia,” and commences thus:—