The “Complete” Beethoven


Between December 1812 and February 1813, Beethoven continued to work on settings of folksongs sent to him by Scottish publisher George Thomson. Group IV in Barry Cooper’s catalogue consists of nine settings; three are available in live YouTube performances.

#Beethoven250 Day 258
Setting of “Faithfu’ Johnie” CFS IV/4 (Opus 108, No. 20), 1812–13

With a text by Anne Grant, a woman asks her sweetheart “When will you come again?” He promises to come soon and then “We shall not part again.”

#Beethoven250 Day 258
Setting of “From Garyone, my Happy Home” CFS IV/8 (WoO 154, No. 7), 1812–13

Starting at 7:57 in this video, this is Beethoven’s second setting of this song; the first is CFS III/7 (Day 252).

#Beethoven250 Day 258
Setting of “Oh! would I were but that Sweet Linnet” CFS IV/9 (WoO 154, No. 9), 1812–13

Starting at 13:08 in this video, a woman wishes to be a carefree bird without all the love problems that she's now having.