Zur Namensfeier
Encyclopedia
Zur Namensfeier, op.
115, is a symphonic overture
in C major by Ludwig van Beethoven
completed in 1815, and first performed on Christmas Day 1815. It is seldom played.
Its title refers to the feastday of King Francis I of France
, 4 October, and while Beethoven made an attempt to complete the work for this day in 1814, he was unable to finish it in time, so he set aside work on it until the following spring. The theme at the beginning is related to that which he used to set Schiller's Ode to Joy
in his Ninth Symphony
nine years later.
In spite of its late opus number, it is a middle-period composition. He used ideas which he had sketched between 1810 and 1814; his earliest "late period" compositions are usually dated to 1816.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
115, is a symphonic overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
in C major by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
completed in 1815, and first performed on Christmas Day 1815. It is seldom played.
Its title refers to the feastday of King Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, 4 October, and while Beethoven made an attempt to complete the work for this day in 1814, he was unable to finish it in time, so he set aside work on it until the following spring. The theme at the beginning is related to that which he used to set Schiller's Ode to Joy
Ode to Joy
"Ode to Joy" is an ode written in 1785 by the German poet, playwright and historian Friedrich Schiller, enthusiastically celebrating the brotherhood and unity of all mankind...
in his Ninth Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
nine years later.
In spite of its late opus number, it is a middle-period composition. He used ideas which he had sketched between 1810 and 1814; his earliest "late period" compositions are usually dated to 1816.