Rondo "The Rage over the lost penny"

The Rondo alla ingharese quasi un capriccio in G major, Op. 129, is a piano rondo by Ludwig van Beethoven.^[1] It is better known by the sub-title "Rage Over a Lost Penny" (from German: Die Wut über den verlorenen Groschen). This sub-title was provided not by Beethoven but by his friend Anton Schindler.^[2]

Despite the late opus number, this piece dates from 1795, when Beethoven was 25 years old. He left the piece unpublished and incomplete; it was published in 1828 by Anton Diabelli^[1], who concealed the fact that Beethoven had left it unfinished.^[3]

It is a favourite with audiences and is frequently performed as an encore.^{[citation needed]}

The performance time runs between five and six minutes; the tempo of the piece is Allegro vivace ( = 132–160).

The indication alla ingharese is of interest, as no such word as "ingharese" exists in standard Italian. To people of Beethoven's day, "gypsy music" and "Hungarian music" were synonymous terms. Beethoven seems to have conflated alla zingarese (in the gypsy style) and all'ongarese (in the Hungarian style) to come up with a unique term alla ingharese.^[4]

Sources

• Barry Cooper, gen. ed., The Beethoven Compendium, Ann Arbor, MI: Borders Press, 1991, p. 247. ISBN 0-681-07558-9.

1. ^ ^{a b} Ronge, Julia. "Rondo a capriccio für Klavier (G-Dur), Op. 129". Beethoven-Haus, Bonn. http://www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=5099&template=werkseite_digitales_archiv_en&_eid=5057&_ug=Pieces%20for%20two%20hands&_werkid=131&_mid=Works%20by%20Ludwig%20van%20Beethoven&_seite=1. Retrieved 13 August 2008. 
2. ^ Answers.com
3. ^ Oxford Journals: THE NEWLY DISCOVERED AUTOGRAPH OF BEETHOVEN'S RONDO A CAPRICCIO, OP. 129
4. ^ Peter van der Merwe, Roots of the classical: the popular origins of western music

External links

• Rage Over a Lost Penny: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.
• Evgeny Kissin plays Rage Over a Lost Penny
• Orchestral arrangement, performed on a Yamaha Tyros2 arranger keyboard Rage Over a Lost Penny
• European Archive Copyright free LP recording of the Rondo à capriccio, Op. 129 in G major – Rage Over the Lost Penny by Hugo Steurer (piano) at the European Archive (for non-American viewers only).