Charles Petzold



The Ländler is a type of triple-meter Austrian folk dance that many German-speaking composers incorporated into the music, right up through Mahler and Alban Berg. Beethoven wrote two sets of simple (and inconsequential) Ländler tunes.

#Beethoven250 Day 115
7 Ländler for Piano (WoO 11), 1799

The “7 Ländlerische Tänze” probably existed in a version for two violins and cello, but only a piano reduction has survived. This video includes the score.

As discussed on the Unheard Beethoven site (unheardbeethoven.org/search.php?Ide…), the Twelve Minuets for Orchestra (WoO 12) are actually not by Ludwig van Beethoven but instead by his brother Kaspar Karl. Nevertheless, let’s give them a listen.

#Beethoven250 Day 115
12 Minuets for Orchestra (WoO 12), 1799

A recording of Kaspar Karl van Beethoven’s orchestral minuets.