About this edition
Composed between 1801 and 1802 during one of the most personally turbulent periods of Beethoven's life — the very months in which he wrote the anguished Heiligenstadt Testament — the Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36 is a work of astonishing buoyancy and forward momentum. Its expansive slow introduction, driving Allegro con brio, songful Larghetto, and the audacious Scherzo (Beethoven's first to bear that title in a symphony) mark a decisive break from the Haydn-Mozart tradition and point unmistakably toward the heroic style of the Eroica that would follow.
This score is reproduced from the celebrated Beethovens Werke, Serie 1, No. 2, published by Breitkopf und Härtel of Leipzig in 1862 (Plate B.2). This monumental complete edition, prepared in the decades after Beethoven's death by leading German scholars and editors of the period, established the textual foundation upon which generations of conductors, performers, and later critical editions have built. Breitkopf und Härtel's nineteenth-century engraving remains prized for its clarity, generous spacing, and careful presentation of the full orchestral fabric, and it continues to serve as a trusted reference for study, rehearsal, and performance.
About this edition:
- Format: Full orchestral score (conductor's score)
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Source: Reproduced from the Breitkopf und Härtel complete edition (Leipzig, 1862), pages 3–64
- Contents: All four movements, complete with full instrumentation
- Publisher: Purple 4R Publishing
- Ideal for: Conductors, orchestral musicians, students, scholars, and serious listeners following along with recordings
This volume is a faithful reprint of a historical score that has long since entered the public domain, lovingly prepared so that this cornerstone of the symphonic repertoire remains affordable and accessible to musicians and scholars everywhere. We hope it serves you well in study, rehearsal, and performance.
