olga baird
Early settings of the Ode to joy: Schiller
1. Beethoven used the second
version of the ode, dated
1803.
2. Peter le Huray & James
Day: Music and aesthetics
in the eighteenth and
early-nineteenth centuries
(Cambridge, 1988), p.176.
3. Thalia (Leipzig, 1786),
vol.1, book 2, pp.15.
4. Viscount Goschen:
The life and times of Georg
Joachim Goschen, publisher
and printer of Leipzig,
17521828 (London, 1903),
vol.1, p.120.
5. Johann Gottlieb Naumann
(17411801), composer,
conductor and Kapellmeister.
In the 1780s he worked in
Sweden. He was invited to
Dresden as a composer of
spiritual music.
6. The interest of the
canon of Trier and Worms,
Johann-Friedrich-Hugo
von Dalberg (17521812),
in Schillers Ode to joy is
easily understandable: the
successful premiere of
Schillers Die Ruber in
January 1782 took place
in the Mannheim theatre
thanks to the efforts of his
brother Wolfgang Heribert
von Dalberg(17501806), A, six-eight rhythm, repeated verse by verse ad nauseam. The second is an anonymous
the superintendant of the
theatre.
7. Notes on the words
of Beethovens choral
symphony, in The Musical
Times vol.42 no.703
(September 1901), pp.590
92.
BeethovenTepper de Ferguson
R
esearchers into the life and legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven,
and particularly of hisNinth Symphony, are well aware of the fact
that he wasnotthe first composer to set theOde to joyby Friedrich
Schiller to music.1The odewas writtenin autumn1785, in Dresden,during
Schillers stay with his friend Christian Gottfried Krner (17561831), a
lawyer andamateur musician.Krner straightawayset to music Schillers
ode,2 which had appearedin the Leipzigjournal Thaliain 1786.3 Sending the
ode to GeorgJoachimGoshen, thepublisher of Thalia, Schillerwrote: The
poemis beautifullyset to music byKrner. What do you think about the
idea of printing the music as well?It will take onlyhalf a page.4
In the same year Schillers ode was set to music by the minor composer
Johann Christian Muller (174996), who published his score in Leipzig, and
also by the Dresden composer JohannGottlieb Naumann (17411801),the
chief conductor of the Elector of Saxony.5 These names open a long list
ofpredecessorsof Beethoven,composersof a different scaleandof different
levels oftalent whoturned to the Ode to joyin the late 18th and early 19th
centuries. Among them there was, for example, a future teacher of Felix
Mendelssohn,the Berlin composer Carl FriedrichZelter(17581832),whose
compositions were much admired by Goethe. Zelters chorale on the
words of Schiller is dated 1792. The setting from 1815 by the 18-year-
old Franz Schubert is considered one of the best early ones of the ode.
On the other hand, there are many works that were harshly criticised
by both contemporaries and later musicologists. For example, speaking
of Schillers lines which were employed by Beethoven in his Ninth
Symphony,andanalysing inthis regard some of the earlier musical settings
of the ode, an English researcher wrotein 1901:
Three other known settings of Schillers Ode to joy may soon be dismissed. The first is
by Baron J.F.H. Dalberg (17521812),6 and consists of a few bars for solo and chorus in
inspiration, a feeble thing of eighteen bars to which the eight stanzas of the poem are
intended to be sung, one after another, with wearisome reiteration. The third claims little
more attention by reason of its scope and attempt at something better. It is the composition
of one Tepper von Ferguson, a native of Warsaw, who was Kapellmeister at St. Petersburg
in 1801. It is for solo voices and chorus, and the date assigned to it is 1797.7
Interestingly enough, with the passing of time, the attitude of musico
logists to Tepper de Fergusons composition was changing. In 1927, in a
the musical times Spring 2013 1
2 Early settings of the Ode to joy: SchillerBeethovenTepper de Ferguson
8. Beethoven Newsletter vol.9,
nos.23 (1994), p.115.
9. An early setting of
Schillers Ode to Joy, in
Fidelio, Spring 1993, www.
schillerinstitute.org/fid_91-
96/931_Schiller_Ode.html.
10. Georg Gnther: Frhe
Schiller-Vertonungen bis 1825,
Denkmler der Musik in
Baden-Wrttemberg, vol.18
(Munich, 2005), pp.lvlvi.
11. Michael Broyles:
Beethoven: the emergence and
evolution of Beethovens heroic
style (New York, 1987),
pp.26162.
12. Dieter Hildebrandt: Die
Neunte: Schiller, Beethoven
und die Geschichte eines
musikalischen Welterfolgs
(Munich, 2005), pp.12425.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra programme, Dalbergs opus was again
called feeble but the authors refrained from criticising Teppers work.In
1994 Tepper de Fergusons cantata was described as one of the few well-
developed early compositions;8 and in 19931997, in the journal of the
American Schiller Institute, the author of the article An early setting of
Schillers Ode to joy wrote enthusiastically about an otherwise un
known, Haydnesque composer with the name (or pseudonym) of Tepper
von Ferguson who in 1797
published in a limited subscription edition in Berlin, a grandiose choral version of An
die Freude with four soloists, chorus, and with each verse and its refrain set as a separate
movement, complete with changes in key and tempo, and beginning with a bass solo in
these respects a curious and perhaps unique foretaste of Beethovens much later choral
symphony. (The printed version has a keyboard accompaniment which might be a
reduction of a lost orchestral score).9
In 2005 the German musicologist Georg Gnther, having very positively
assessed Teppers composition, even stated that among the early musical
settingsof the Ode to joy, itis on such a scale that it is comes close to the
finale of Beethovens Ninth Symphony.10
In 1987, having included Tepper de Fergusons cantata in the list of
predecessors of Beethovens Ninth Symphony, the American musico
logist Michael Broyles noted that it was not known whether Beethoven
was familiar with Teppers music, and decisively dismissed any link
between the two works.11 In 2005 Dieter Hildebrandt, analysing the
relations between Schillers Ode and Beethovens Ninth Symphony, called
Tepper an unknown and so far un-researched composer.12 In general,
writing about Beethovens Ninth Symphony, Western musicologists
commonly refer to Tepper de Fergusons composition, but it is obvious
that they know virtually nothing about its author. Thus it remains un
clear whether Beethoven was familiar with it and whether there is an
actualconnection betweenthese worksand their creators.
F
irst of all, it must be said that Ludwig Wilhelm Tepper de
Ferguson (this is not a pseudonym, but his real name), is neither
an unknown and so far un-researched person, nor an otherwise
unknown, Haydnesque composer. Ferguson Tepper is well known in
Poland this extremely wealthy and influential banker family played an
important part in Polish international trade during the 18th century. Lud
wig Wilhelm Tepper de Ferguson (17681838), one of the bankers sons,
showed hismusical talent early.Having been educated for the careerof a
diplomator a lawyer,he was forcedto turn to compositionand teaching
music after the collapse of his fathers bank and the loss of the familys
fortune in 1793. After several years which he had spent in Strasbourg,

13. Gnther (Frhe Schiller-
Vertonungen) assumed,
without any grounds,
that Tepper had lived in
Hamburg until 1796, then
moved to Berlin where he
possibly stayed until his
death. This is surprising, as
his move to Russia and his
post of court Kapellmeister
is mentioned in several early
musical dictionaries (L-E.
Gerber, J. Sainsbury and
A.Choron, etc.).
14. AM Stupel: Lizeyskii
uchitel musyki, in Pushkin:
issledovaniia i materialy
(Moscow & Leningrad,
1960), vol.3, pp.362377.
15. The Memoir, in French,
is preserved in the family of
the descendants of Teppers
older brother. It has been
translated into Russian and
prepared for publication in
St Petersburg. In this article,
the quotations from the
Memoir have been translated
into English by Olga Baird.
16. In Liberty writings of Dr.
Hermann Kiefer (New York,
1917), p.388.
Vienna and Hamburg, he went to Russia, where he became known as
Kapellmeister at the Imperial court and a music teacher to the Grand
Duchesses, the younger sisters of the Emperor Alexander I.13 Later
he taught choral singing at the Imperial Lyce in Tsarskoe Selo, where
among his pupils was the future great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin
and his friends included the students of the first,brilliantLyceclass. He
wrote the music for the Farewell song of the first Lyce students which was
first performed at the Lyce on 9 June 1817, and his chamber music was played
in Petersburg musical salons during the early 19th century. His personality
and activity form a research subject of Pushkin studies and musicology.
A detailed article on his personality and musical legacy was published as
early as 1960 by the prominent Soviet musicologist AM Stupel.14 Tepper is
commemorated at the Museum-Pushkins Lyce at Tsarskoe Selo.
Relatively recently, the author of this article was lucky to discover an
extensive memoir by Ludwig-Wilhelm Tepper de Ferguson (17681838)
in his own handwriting.15 It describeshislifefrom his birthin Warsawon
18 December 1768 until 1824. It appears that the memoir contains some
details which help us to understand better Teppers own musical work and
his relationship with both Schiller and Beethoven. The memoir does not
clarify the picture completely, but provides a much better understanding
of cultural and social background and historic circumstances in relation
to musical settings of Schillers masterpiece.
Recollecting hischildhood,Tepperdescribes in detailhis two-yearstay
at the Military Academy of Prince Charles-Eugene of Wrttemberg in
Stuttgart.Tepperentered the Academyin May 1781, just six monthsafter
15 December 1780, when Friedrich Schiller had graduated and been ap
pointeda regimental doctor in Stuttgart.During the two years of Teppers
study at the Academy, Schiller gave many reasons to occupy the mindsof
both students andteachers. In late MayearlyJune 1781 Schillerpublished
histragedy Die Ruber, and on13 January 1782 its highly successfulpremiere
took place at the Mannheimtheatre,followed by the dukesconflictwith
Schiller and his two-week detention. In the same year Schiller published
the Antologie fr 1782, which included 83 poems, 48 of which were
his own. Although the name of the author-compiler was not specified in
the publication, it was known to readers. On 22 September 1782, in disguise,
Schiller fledfrom Stuttgart.
In the eyes of the students Schillers name gave additional lustre to
the institution, and it was an honour to study at the same school which
produced a playwright of whose first play the Erfurter Gelehrter Zeitung
wrote: If we have ever expected to see aGerman Shakespeare, this is the
man.16 However, Schiller himself did not bear any warm feelings towards the
Academy, and a few years later he wrote: Any inclination to poetry violated
the musical times Spring 2013 3
4 Early settings of the Ode to joy: SchillerBeethovenTepper de Ferguson
17. Rheinische Thalia, 1785.
18. Anton Graff (17361813),
a great German portrait
painter of Swiss origin
and from 1766 a painter at
the court of the Elector of
Saxony.
19. Currently at the Museum
of Dresden Romanticism
(Kgelgenhaus).
the laws of the institution where I was educated and contradicted the plan
of its founder. [...] But the passion for poetry is strong and fiery, like first
love. What discipline meant to extinguish, was blown into flame.17
Young Tepper was clearly much interested in Schiller, as in his memoirs
he retells stories about the poet which he could have heard from older
Academy students and from its officers and teachers.However, in contrast
to Schiller, who hated the Academy, Tepper praises it very highly and
considers it to be one of the best education institutions in Europe.Trying
to explain and reconcile the conflict between Schiller and the Academy, he
writes:
Perhaps no school can offer as many useful subjects in such a short time.I am not talking
about Schiller.He was a genius who was developing himself, and such a development
could happen even in a desert.He had little to do with the Academy, and the only subject
which he was forced to study and in which he was not later engaged, was surgery.His
talent for poetry and theatre had already shown itself, and one should thank the Academy
for his tragedy about the robbers which was written there. [...] Schiller left the Academy
prior to my arrival.The Duke did not like Schiller and appointed him as a surgeon at
the garrison.I remember seeing him once in the uniform of that regiment.He left a few
months later and never came back.
Tepper de Ferguson met and became acquainted with Schiller in
the autumn of 1793, but even before their meeting several episodes took
place in Teppers life which could have kept alive his memory of and interest
in Schiller. From December 1791 to March 1792 Tepper was in Dresden,
acting as a secretary to the Polish diplomatic mission, headed by Prince
Adam Kazimir Czartoryski. The objective of the mission was to offer the
Polish crown to the Elector of Saxony in accordance with the provisions of
the Polish Constitution of 3 May 1791. The subject that we have brought to
Dresden was significant enough to excite general curiosity.[...] Everybody
made efforts to welcome everything that was Polish, and especially the
Princes retinue, so we were showered by balls, lunches, dinners and
entertainment of all kinds. The musically gifted memoirist was particularly
sensitive to musical impressions, and remarked that in regard to music, he
was able to satisfy all his wishes. It is hard to imagine that he did not meet
Christian Gottfried Krner, the first author of the music of the Ode to joy,
who at that time actively corresponded with Schiller, and whose house was
the centre of Dresden musical and literary gatherings. Among Krners
guests was Johann Gottlieb Naumann, another author of a musical setting
to Schillers ode.It appears from the memoir that Tepper knew Naumann,
attended his rehearsals and considered him to be a composer who added
glory to his name and whose works will continue to live.
During his three-month stay in Dresden,Teppersat fora portrait by the
famous artistAntonGraff(17361813),18who only in September 1791had
finally finisheda portrait ofSchiller which he had begunin 1786.19In March

20. 24 October 1793.
21. Ludwig Albrecht
Schubart (17651811), son
of the poet and musician
Christian Friedrich Daniel
Schubart (173991) and a
friend of Schiller. He studied
at the Military Academy
from 1777 and was a writer
and legation secretary of
the diplomatic mission at the
Prussian court.
1792 Tepper was proud to see his own portrait at the annualexhibitionat the
DresdenArt Academy. We can assume that the Schiller portrait was shown
there, as well.
The paths of Tepper and Schiller finally brought them face to face in
October 1793 in Stuttgart.It was a critical period in Teppers life. The collapse
of his fathers bank deprived him of the material means of subsistence and
forced him to leave Warsaw. He spent several months in Strasbourg, where
he experienced the siege of the city by Austrian troops and witnessed the
beginning of revolutionary terror.Due to the dramatic development of the
political situation and his own unfortunate personal circumstances, without
any real plans for the future, Tepper left for Vienna.From a comparison of
dates and facts described in his memoir, it is clear that on his way to Vienna
he spent no more than four or five days in Stuttgart, but they were filled with
important events and impressions:
I arrived in Stuttgart at a time which was interesting to a former pupil of the Military
Academy: the death of Duke Charles.20I was satisfied by the chance to pay him my last
tribute, as I saw him lying in his coffin and attended his funeral.[...] In Stuttgart, I became
acquainted with Schiller, to whom a convalescence trip had been prescribed by his doctor,
and who used the death of Duke Charles* to see his homeland again.To my great regret,
I saw him only a little, because he was sick all the time.He came with Schubart-junior,21
who also used to be a student at the Academy, and at that time he was Prussian Minister
at Nuremberg.He was going to the place of his service and was parting from his friend,
whom his illness forced to stay; we agreed to go to Ulm together on a stagecoach.
* [Teppers footnote] It is known that Schiller left the dukes service without leave, and he
was prohibited from showing up there during the dukes reign)
Indeed,fromthe beginning of September 1793,Schillerwith his family
livedin Ludwigsburg,whereon14 Septemberhisfirst child was born.On
24 OctoberSchiller, likeTepper, witnessed the transferof the bodyof the
deceased duke to the princely burial vault in Ludwigsburg. Although it
is clear from the memoir that the meeting with Schiller was transi
ent,andTepperhad all toolittle time and opportunitiesto establisha close
relationship with him, Schiller, of course, was a subject of conversation
between the two young travellers on their way to Ulm: Schubart was a
goodcompanion: he hadan originalmindand a brilliantway of expressing
himself. Moreover,he was aformer fellow of the Academy and,like me,an
avidmusician; thus Ifound everythingI neededfora pleasant journey.
On the 16 November 1793,Tepperarrived in Vienna,whereBeethoven
had already been living for a year.About the circumstances ofBeethovens
appearancein Viennaat the end of1792,we knowfrom a letter writtento
Schillers wife Charlotte by BartholomewFischenich(17681831), professor
of law inBonnand a friendof Schiller. The letter is dated 26 January 1793,
and Fischenich describes Beethoven as a localyoung manwhosemusical
talents are praised by everybody around, and whom the Elector has just
the musical times Spring 2013 5
6 Early settings of the Ode to joy: SchillerBeethovenTepper de Ferguson
22. In Emilie von Gleichen-
Russwurm: Charlotte von
Schiller und ihre Freunde,
vol.3 (Stuttgart, 1865),
pp.10001.
23. Karl Alois Johann-
Nepomuk Vinzenz
Lichnowsky (17611814),
patron of Mozart and one
of the most significant
aristocratic patrons of
Beethoven.
24. The composition of
the quartet changed but its
main members were Ignaz
Schuppanzigh (17761830),
Franz Weiss (17781830),
Antonin Kraft (17521820),
his son Nicolaus Kraft
(17781853), and Louis
Sina (17851857). The very
young age of almost all the
performers is striking.
25. See The Beethoven-
Wlfflpiano duel:
aesthetic debates and social
boundaries, inTia DeNora:
Beethoven and the construction
of genius (Berkeley, Los
Angeles & London, 1995).
26. Tepper describes the
Gesellschaft der Associierten,
an aristocratic society of
Viennese lovers of music
founded by Baron Gottfried
van Swieten in 1786.
sentto ViennatoHaydn.Hes going toset to music Schillers Joy,and,
furthermore, everystanza of it.I expectsomethingperfect,becauseas far
as I know him, he was born for the grand and sublime.22 This familiar
quotation is the only documentary sourcethat reveals Beethoven's interest in
the Ode to joy as early as 179293. Nomusicalsketchesby Beethoven dated
from thattime have survived.
Beethovenbecame oneof the firstof Teppers Vienneseacquaintances.
Having been offered lodgings at the house of Prince Michael-Kazimir
Oginski, and enthusiastically joining Viennese musical circles, Tepper
wrote:
One hardly can find in Vienna a person who could not play any musical
instrumentorsingmore or lesswell. Not only eveningsin societyhave never beenwithout
music, but it often was performed even in the mornings. Karl Lichnowskys23
quartet played regularly on Fridays from 10am to 12am24 (it was there that I became
acquainted withBeethoven,whosoon became my friend.)
Tepper was only two years older than Beethoven, a very keen clavecin
player, and both Tepper and Beethoven quickly gained equally brilliant
reputations as keyboard virtuosi.
Tepper met Beethoven not only at Karl Lichnowskys.Beethoven, in his
turn, must have visited the house of Michael-Kazimir Oginski who was a
patron of Joseph Wlffl (17731812), one of the most talented piano players
of these years, with whom Beethoven would have a piano duel in 1799.25
Both Beethoven and Tepper were regular visitors to the house of Baron
Gottfried van Swieten. Later Beethoven dedicated his First Symphony to
him, and Tepper described musical gatherings in van Swietens house:
There was a club of gentlemen of the highest society who gathered there together,26 sharing
costs equally between them; they met regularly in each others homes to interpret the works
of deceased composers.[...] Complete silence was observed there and performances left
nothing to be desired. These concerts were usually given during Lent.I did not miss any of
them it was there that I heard for the first time great compositions by Handel.
Both Tepper and Beethoven attended the musical salon of Fanny von
Arnstein, a remarkable pianist and singer. In 1796 it was she who supplied
Tepper, who was leaving Vienna, with letters of recommendation to her
family in Berlin.Thus there is hardly any doubt that the young Pole, who
had come to Vienna with the name of Schiller on his lips, was familiar
with Beethovens first ideas about the Ode to joy and with his musical
sketches, if such sketches indeed existed.
In 1796, independently from each other, Beethoven and Tepper left
Vienna. Beethoven departed in February for the musical tour which had
been organised for him by Karl Lichnowsky. The tour took several months,
and its route went through Prague, Dresden, Leipzig and Berlin. Tepper
left in August for Hamburg where his elder brother was living, hoping to

27. John Sainsbury: A
dictionary of musicians: from
the earliest ages to the present
time (London, 1824), p.474.
earn a living by giving music lessons. But in his memoir another meeting
with Beethoven is recorded:
I left Vienna in August 1796. [...] In Prague, I met Beethoven, who was returning from
Berlin.We spent together several days that I was staying in that city.I even had a funny
adventure with him.On a Sunday we took a carriage to go for a drive. Wanting to cross
the river from one side to another and to shorten the way, our coachman directed the
carriage straight into the river.Seeing that other people were doing the same thing, I was
not worried, but soon I realised that instead of going to the left, we had turned to the right,
which led us towards the rapids.Finally, I broke the silence and shouted to the coachman
to stop, while the gestures and cries of other people confirmed to me that we were in
danger.Beethoven, who probably was dreaming of a new sonata, did not notice anything
until the water filled the carriage and wet his feet.Looking around and seeing himself in
the waves, he uttered such a piercing scream that he frightened me as much as the danger
itself.The horse was scared too, and we no longer were able to manage it.Fortunately,
we were just able to stop it. As the mare harnessed to our carriage was not particularly
frisky, we escaped, I do not know how.I could not help laughing at ourselves and poor
Beethoven, and all his gestures.If ever you need to portray a shipwreck in music, I said
to him,youll be able to work from memory.
On the whole, it is possible to conclude that Beethovens Viennese
environment in 179396 was very favourable for the development of his early
musicalideasforthe Ode to joy, the firstmention of whichdates back to 1792
93. Among other things,this was due torelations betweenBeethovenand
his Polishpeer, a well-educated, worldly and musically gifted performer.
WhileBeethovenhad never met Schiller, Teppernot onlystudied at the same
institution as Schiller, was aware of the events of Schillersyouth,knewfrom
his own experience the everyday and artistic context of the Ode to joy,
andhad even met Schillerpersonally, although this acquaintance was in
deed fleeting.In this sense,young Tepperservedas a kind ofconnecting
linkbetweenBeethoven andSchiller, which helped Beethoven to keep his
idea,maybe evengiving ita certain directionby his own musicalefforts.
After meeting with Beethoven in Prague, Tepper continued his journey
to Hamburg. Having Berlin on the way, he made a prolonged stop there:
The letters,which madamArnsteinin Viennagave mefor her familyin
Berlin, and their warm welcome caused me to stay for nineteen days in
thatcity.Ispent them with this interestingfamily,andthese days werea
delight.That timeof my life Ialwayslove to recollect.
Teppers memoirclarifies thathe arrived inHamburgin September1796.
Early music dictionaries mention his significant musical success in Hamburg:
His extraordinary ability on the piano, as well as his taste and knowledge of
the science were highly praised at Hamburgh, in which city he made some
stay in 1796,probably, before his departure for Petersburg.27 His memoir,
however, presents a different picture:
My brother did his best to inform everyone about my plans to give music lessons.But
some people thought that I was too young, others felt that my amateurish talent might
the musical times Spring 2013 7
8 Early settings of the Ode to joy: SchillerBeethovenTepper de Ferguson
28. Gnther: Frhe Schiller-
Vertonungen bis 1825.
29. Journal des Luxus und der
Moden, Jahr 11 (December
1796), pp.23132.
30. It is worth mentioning
that under the text of
Gnther & Bhme s
announcement which
appeared in December 1796,
there is the date October
1795. It well may be an
ordinary misprint but, if not,
it means that Tepper finished
his cantata while still in
Vienna, sent it to Hamburg
to Gnther & Bhme, and
arrived in Hamburg shortly
before its publication.
not be sufficient for teaching. To this, various small intrigues were added. Everybody
judged me without seeing me, and little was lacking in order to say: I do not know him,
and he may be one of those fortune seekers who think that if they were in Vienna, they
can teach us. In short, nobody wanted to entrust their children to me, and my clients
did not extend beyond the two students, one of which was from a Scottish family newly
arrived in Hamburg, and the other was a married lady, who wanted to have a teacher,
because it was fashionable [...] Nowhere is the pressure of these little Lycurguses felt as
strongly as in Hamburg, and here it is combined with rudeness, which is special for this
part of Germany. Add to this their conceit, and you will get a chorus of people who feel
superior to everybody else, because they are who they are and they have money.There
was no humiliation caused to me by this miserable flock that I would not want to erase
from memory.They depressed me so strongly that I feared nothing so much as to find in
the living room a piano, which I would be forced to play.
Apparently, Teppers resentmentandfrustrationwere so strong that he even
did not mentionin his memoirthat it was in Hamburgthat he publishedby
subscriptionhischoral compositionto the words bySchiller: Schillers Ode
an die Freude in Musik gesetzt von Tepper von Ferguson. Hamburg, bey Gnther
& Bhme.
The publication is not dated. In modern musical literature, the dates
allocated to it range from1794to1797. Gnther dated it more exactly, to
the beginning of 1797, on the grounds that among the subscribers there was
Princess Augusta of Prussia (17801841) whose marriage on 13 February
1797 changed her title to Princess of Hessen-Kassel. This means that the
score could not have been published later than January 1797.28 We can
add that Gnther and Bhmes announcement about the forthcoming
publication of Teppers composition appeared in the December issue
of the Weimar Journal des Luxus und der Moden for 1796. It informed
the public that subscriptions would be accepted until mid-December, as
the editors intended to publish the sheet music just before Christmas.29
Therefore,the publicationcan befirmlydated to December1796. However,
thisdoes not mean thatTeppers workon his composition should bedated
tothe same period. Hecouldhave started itwhen still in Vienna thinking
of Schiller and his relationship with Beethoven and then continued his
work in Prague (again,conversing with Beethoven!) andin Berlin, before
bringing to Hamburga composition which was ready,ornearly readyfor
publication.30
Describing the forthcoming edition to readers of the Journal des Luxus
und der Moden, Gnther and Bhme wrote:
It has long been a common desire of all friends of music, and we can even say, of the
whole nation, to have music to the ode To Joy by the immortal Schiller which is worthy
of the text. Several composers, including famous ones, already ventured to set it to music.
But none of these composers has deserved our undivided applause. There are from 6 to 8
compositions in existence, often borrowed from each other, and none of themis liked by
public and, moreover, they let us feel how far behind the poet all these composers remain.
One of the reasons for the small success of their compositions may be that their authors
Fig.1: Schiller's Ode to joy, set to music by Tepper von Ferguson, title page
31. This expression can be
associated with the title of
CPE Bachs sonatas Fr
Kenner und Liebhaber. Tepper
was familiar with them, as
Bach dedicated the first series
(1779) to his former mentor
Eleonora Zernitz, who at that
time taught music to little
Tepper.
32. Journal des Luxus und der
Moden, Jahr 11 (December
1796), pp.23132.
33. In 1859 a copy of the
notes was exhibited at the
centenary Schiller-exhibition
in Weimar.
wanted to set this ode to one tune, like any other song, but the sentiments expressed in it
are so varied that seems to require a separate tune for each stanza.
The young talented composer, who has already become known to public for his other
works, Mr. Tepper von Ferguson, ventured to set to different music each of the nine
stanzas of Schillers ode To Joy. The setting for four voices is written for soprano, alto,
tenor and bass, accompanied only by clavier.This work in its integrity is a cantata for four
voices.The author addresses his composition not only to connoisseurs, but he arranged
it in such a way that all amateurs,31 circles of friends and all meetings where joy reigns
would be able to use it.
This work will be issued by subscription at our publishing house. It will be engraved,
printed on fine Dutch paper and decorated with a portrait of Schiller.32
The score was indeed printed beautifully;32 the title page (fig.1) is
decorated with alargeand detailedvignette:in the foregroundon the right
there is an allegorical composition consisting of musical notes, theatrical
mask and musical instruments: the lyre and the trumpet. In the centre,
the musical times Spring 2013 9
10 Early settings of the Ode to joy: SchillerBeethovenTepper de Ferguson

putti are dancing around Schillers portrait Johann Gotthard Mullers

(17471830) engravingafter the portrait of the poet by AntonGraff.The
name of Graff unites Tepper and Schiller: Graff worked on the portraits
of both in Dresden at almost the same time, in 17911792. The portrait
also reminds us of Teppers meeting with Schiller in Stuttgart in 1793: it
wasthere and then that J-G.Muller was working on thisengraving.
Beside Hamburg, the subscription was organised in several German
towns, and also in Zurich, Prague, Vienna and St Petersburg. The list of
prenumerants occupies two pagesandcontains 158 names.In totalthey
subscribed to391 copies, a pretty satisfactory number; although we can guess
that the composer might have felt disappointed: there are no subscribers
from Zurich or St Petersburg (but there are subscribers from Linz, Paris,
Copenhagen and even London).Naturally, the largest number of subscribers
is from Hamburg 41 people who signed upfor 66copies.Butin the second
place is Berlin 29 peoplewho have subscribedfor 64copies.This might
suggest that the young manhad been noticedduring his19 daysspent in
the capital ofPrussia, and alsothis indirectlysupportsthe suppositionthat
the subscribersmayalready have beenawareof Tepperswork andwere
interestedin its development.
In his Frhe Schiller-Vertonungen bis 1825 Gnther gave a general
characteristic of the list of subscribers. We will analyse it from the point of
view of the personal relations between Tepper and his subscribers, their place
in his life, and their possible role of direct and indirect mediators between
Tepper and Beethoven. It seems that the names of the subscribers often
not only confirm thefacts mentioned in Teppers memoirs,but shedmore
lighton them.
The list of subscribers is headed by the names of royalty. Besides the
already mentioned Princess Augusta of Prussia, Her Royal Highness
the Dowager Landgrfin Philippine of Hesse-Kassel (17451800), signed
fortwo copies ofTeppers cantata. Here also are the namesof PrinceAnton
Henrik Radziwill (17751833) and his wife Princess Louise. A young
Polish aristocratandpolitician, AntonRadziwill was at the court ofKing of
Prussia from 1792, and marriedin 1796PrincessLouiseof Prussia(1770
1836), the niece ofFrederick the Great.The Prussiancourthoped to see
him as an intermediary between the Prussian government and the Poles
who found themselves on the territorieswhich were cededto Prussiaafter
the final partition of Poland. The couple shared a deep interest in music
and art, and their palace in Berlin was a place of regular concerts. Both
weregiftedperformers, and their namesin the list ofsubscriberssuggest
thatTepper, a keen musician with a strong reputation as a virtuoso performer
and a fellow countryman of Radziwill, visited their house during his stay in
Berlin.

34. See Peter Wollny:Sara
Levy and the making of
musical taste in Berlin, resumed his friendship with Beethoven.
inThe Musical Quarterly
vol.77 no.4 (1993), pp.651
88.
Berlin subscribers included MadameLevy (neItzig) and MadameWulff
(neItzig). Both were sistersof FannyvonArnstein Sarah(17611854), the
wife ofa prosperousbanker, the hostess ofthe famous musicalsalonanda
talented pianist herself,34 and Cecilia or Zippora (17601836), also
a musically gifted member of this artistic family. After parting from
her first husband, Cecilia Wulff married Bernhard Eskeles, and in
1799 moved to Vienna, where, along with her sister Fanny, she had an
artistic salon. Beethoven visited her house and even made a note in her
album: Leta manbenoble, kind and alwaysreadyto help.They are thebig
andinterestingfamily, to which FannyvonArnstein introduced Tepper,
and whichhealwaysloved to recollect.
Other Berlin subscribers were the children of the famous philosopher
Moses Mendelssohn: Joseph (17701848), the influential banker, and
Henrietta-Maria(17751831) who, like all children ofthe philosopher,re
ceived a good education and was interested inmusic, artand literature.The
Itzig and Mendelssohn families were united in 1804, when Leah, the
nieceof Fanny, Sarahand Zippora, marriedAbrahamMendelssohn(1776
1835).They became the parentsof Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy,in whose
musical educationthe aunts took a large part.
The name of the only subscriberfrom Paris IgnazJoseph Pleyel(1757
1831) reminds us about Teppers university years. The famous and popu
lar composer and conductor was an organist at Strasbourg Cathedral
whileTepper,afterleaving the Military Academy, was continuinghis education
at the University of Strasbourg (178389). Tepper wanted to take violin
lessonsfrom Pleyel but although that dreamwas never realised, he regularly
attendedPleyelsconcerts andfrom time to time played in his orchestra:
In winter seasons, public concerts were held in Strasbourg, which were conducted
byPleyel.Theseconcertswereexcellent, good music was performed,and I was veryglad
to hear therethe First Symphonyby Mozart.[...]The localorchestra waswonderful, andI
much enjoyed them.These concertscreated the impression ofgood society,notfrom the
beauty oftheirhall, but from the members ofthe orchestra,andthey tookamateurs, if
they felt sufficientlyconfident.I playedwith themregularlytwice a year.
It seems that Pleyelwell rememberedthe young man and subscribed to
12copies of the Ode to joy.
Among the Hamburg subscribers was a Mr Reicha, in whom it is easy to
recognise the Czech composer and close friend of Beethoven Anton Reicha
(17701836). They became acquainted back in Bonn, where both played in
the orchestra of the court chapel. In 1794 Reicha moved to Hamburg where,
like Tepper, he gave music lessons. In 1801 he went to Vienna, where he
There are also subscribersfrom Vienna:the banker Puton, a good friend
of Tepper, who supported him in difficult times; Fanny von Arnstein
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12 Early settings of the Ode to joy: SchillerBeethovenTepper de Ferguson
35. George Grove: Beethoven
and his nine symphonies
(London, 1896), pp.32426. composition. It clearly reflects the exuberance and optimism of Teppers
subscribed to six copies, and her good friend Baroness Sebottendorf
to three. Johann Trg, a Viennese music dealer, publisher and copyist
with whom Beethoven started to collaborate as early as 1793, ordered
25 copies. Trg took subscriptions to Teppers cantata in Vienna, which
explains the substantial number of ordered copies. In Prague, subscriptions
were taken by Johann Wenzel (17621831), the organist of St Vituss
Cathedral. He was well known in Vienna as a collaborator of Constanze
Mozart, performer of her late husbands music and publisher of his works.
He also ordered 25 copies.
In summary, it is possible to conclude that while there is no trace of
early Beethovens thoughts about Schillers ode, Tepperszealat the same
periodculminated inthe creation ofa large-scale, complexand thoroughly
composed work. It might be a creative result of his communication with
Beethovenandhis perception of Beethovensearlyideas, among which was
the one, described by Bartholomeus Fischenich in 1793, toset to music each
stanza of Schillers Ode to joy.
The question whether Beethoven was familiar with Teppers composition
can also be answered. Yes, he definitely was. Although Beethoven does not
appearon the list of subscribers, too many peoplearound him possessed the
score of Teppers cantata, and at different periods of his life Beethoven met
people whoused to know acompanion ofhisViennese youth:Fannyvon
Arnstein and Johann Trg, then Cecilia Eskeles and Anton Reicha, later
Anton Henrik Radziwill.
But we should be wary of stating that Teppers early composition influenced
in any way one of the most mature and sophisticated of Beethovens works his
Ninth Symphony, which was created almost 20 years later. While for Tepper,
Schillers odewasthe maincontent, reason and meaningof his composition,
Beethovenusedthe ode only inthe finaleof hissymphony.While Tepper
set to music all nine stanzasof the first versionof the ode,Beethoventurned
to the1803version, usedonly a selection of itsverses,arranged themin a
different order, and evenchangedsome words.35 WhileTepperscantatais
a musical expression of Schillers romanticism, Beethovens symphony is
the embodiment of a complex and controversial historical era still full of
optimism,in which Schillersromanticism is only one of manyaspects.In
other words, the young Teppersubduedhis musicto Schillers ode, butthe
matureBeethoven enriched hismusic with Schillers ode.
In his memoirsTepperwrote Ialwayssaw theworld as aplace where
peopleextend theirhands to each other.This philosophy of life corresponds
to Schillers words Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Tepperscantatais the
first serious musical composition of a highly gifted and promising young
man and marks his transition from amateurish exercises to professional

36. Stupel: Lizeyskii uchitel
musyki.
personality. Writtenand published at themost difficult periodof his life the
loss ofhomeland,loss offamily fortune and the destruction of the family,
away from home,afterhis fathers deathandafter collapse of hisdreams
about love and happiness with his sweetheart,in misery, withouthope for
a betterfuture isstill musictojoy and about joy, addressed to circles of
friends where joy presides.
Unfortunately, for many different reasons, Ludwig-Wilhelm Tepper de
Ferguson failed to fully develop his great natural talent. In his memoir,
he bitterly remarked: In all my endeavours, I went through only half
way and did not reach perfection in anything. [...] I cannot say that
I was bad, but I did not become what I might be, and what I had pro
mised. But some future historians were kinder to him. Stupel wrote:
Tepper was certainly a professionally experienced and talented composer,
who stands above many of his more famous contemporaries. Even today
his [...] smooth and precise work can attract listeners by its sincerity and
melodic freshness.36 Among Teppers modest musical legacy, the cantata
To joy holds a special place: this is a beautiful monument to his time,
to his youth which was full of joy and sorrows, rich in artistic impressions
and music, and crowned with meetings with the two great romantic geniuses
of the era Schiller andBeethoven.
olga baird is a museum professional and art historian with a particular
interest in the Enlightenment. She is preparing a translation of Tepper de
Fergusons Memoirs.
the musical times Spring 2013 13