für zwei Hörner zwei Violinen Viola und Bass-It is hardly surprising that Beethoven did not write any more chamber music for winds after 1800. Following the change to middle-class musical culture demand declined for buoyant serenades and divertimenti intended for courtcircles a genre that Beethoven had reservations about as it was. Composed in 1795 with no known occasion in mind his Sextet op. 81b is thus all the more remarkable standing out on account of the unusual virtuosity of the hornparts. This edition is the first to provide the bass part as originally intended by Beethoven: for violoncello supported by a double bass. In addition to the original horn parts in E flat it also contains transposed parts in F.

Norton Critical Scores are authoritative study-sized editions of major musical works, each accompanied by careful selected supplementary material; primary sources; a wide range of historical, critical, and analytical interpretations; and a bibliography ? /