Beethoven’s Fur Elise: Who Was Elise?
One of the most widely-recognized piano works in the world, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fur Elise has moved and inspired countless pianists for two centuries. Yet it was not published until after the composer’s death, nearly 50 years after it was written. And to this day, Beethoven historians still do not know who Elise was — or even if she was a specific woman.
The piece’s official name is Bagatelle in A Minor woO 59. A bagatelle is a short work, usually with a light or whimsical nature; the abbreviation woO stands for the German term Werke ohne Opuszahl, which simply means Work without Opus Number. Beethoven reserved the system of giving an Opus Number to what he considered his major works, such as symphonies and concerti; this short piece didn’t qualify. The woO number for this piece was assigned by musicologists in 1955.
The words Fur Elise (which in German means “for Elise”) are actually the dedication of the piece, not the title –although that is what most people use as a title for this work today. But to whom was this piece dedicated? Beethoven historians only wish they knew!
One leading theory relates the date of the piece to what is known about Beethoven’s life at that time. Wouldn’t it be easy if he had been courting a woman whose first name was Elise? Alas, he was not.
At that time Beethoven wished to marry a woman named Therese Malfatti, a student of his. And sadly for the 40-year-old Ludwig, Therese rejected his suit, later marrying a local nobleman. The leading theory is that the rediscoverer of this work in the 1860’s, Ludwig Nohl, misread Beethoven’s atrocious handwriting. This theory assumes that Beethoven meant to dedicate the work to “Therese” but Nohl read this (and transcribed it) as “Elise.” Beethoven’s original manuscript copy has been lost, so there is no way to verify or debunk this theory.
A closely related alternative theory is that Beethoven intentionally dedicated it to someone other than Therese in retribution for her snubbing of his marriage proposal. His passionate and irascible nature makes this theory somewhat believable.
Yet another theory is that “Elise” may have been used as a generic term for “sweetheart” at this time, and thus Beethoven was merely dedicating it to young loves everywhere — though there isn’t much actual data supporting this notion.
Perhaps a less romantic possibility is simply that the piece was a commissioned work, and dedicated to someone the buyer knew, rather than someone Beethoven himself knew. This would have been in line with practices of the day — but doesn’t inspire as much fun speculation!
In any case, Ludwig van Beethoven was a passionate and moody person who did not enjoy a happy love life. Even in as small a work as Fur Elise, this emotional complexity and hint of poignancy shines through. Perhaps it is most fitting that we many never know which specific woman inspired its creation. That way, it can remain the emotional property of all who hear or play it.
Tags: Beethoven, beethoven's fur elise, beethoven's life, beethoven's piano music, fur elise, life of beethoven, ludwig van beethoven, piano, piano literature, piano music, who was elise
