In February 1817 Beethoven completed ten settings of folksongs sent to him by George Thomson, and another two from outside the British Isles: one Sicilian (with words in Latin) and another Danish. These constitute Group XII in Barry Cooper’s chronological catalog.
#Beethoven250 Day 302
Setting of “Oh Sweet were the Hours” CFS XII/2 (Opus 108, No. 3), 1817
William Smyth’s refrain cries out “Wine! Wine! Wine!” to recall the days of mirth and frolic.
#Beethoven250 Day 302
Setting of “O Mary, at thy Window be” CFS XII/3 (Opus 108, No. 17), 1817
Starting at 3:40 in this video, Robert Burns provided the text for a tale of unrequited love for a girl named Mary Morrison.
#Beethoven250 Day 302
Setting of “Come fill, fill, my Good Fellow” CFS XII/5 (Opus 108, No. 13), 1817
Another drinking song by William Smyth: “And let’s be merry and mellow, and let us have one bottle more!”
#Beethoven250 Day 302
Setting of “Come fill, fill, my Good Fellow” CFS XII/5 (Opus 108, No. 13), 1817
From Vienna, a delightful duet version of William Smyth’s drinking song with artist participation.
#Beethoven250 Day 302
Setting of “Music, Love and Wine” CFS XII/6 (Opus 108, No. 1), 1817
The singers make their appearance gradually in this less-than-ideal video of yet another celebration of good times by William Smyth.
#Beethoven250 Day 302
Setting of “Behold, my Love, how Green the Groves” CFS XII/9 (Opus 108, No. 9), 1817
Robert Burns makes his claim that while the world may have many beauties, “’tis na love like mine!”
#Beethoven250 Day 302
Setting of “Sir Johnie Cope” CFS XII/10 (WoO 157, No. 10), 1817
This “Old Jacobite Song” tells of frightened English troops under Sir John Cope who “gallop’d off in the morning” after seeing the “Highland lads.”
#Beethoven250 Day 302
Setting of “O sanctissima” CFS XII/11 (WoO 157, No. 4), 1817
A Sicilian hymn to Mary in Latin is arranged for a larger ensemble and performed by the Orchestra and Choir of the University of Bucharest.
#Beethoven250 Day 302
Setting of “O sanctissima” CFS XII/11 (WoO 157, No. 4), 1817
An a cappella performance by children in Caracas.
Barry Cooper observes that this setting
contains an alteration of lyrical and dynamic sections, and the final soft, lyrical one suddenly gives way to a loud, dynamic interruption that brings the music to an abrupt close; a very similar procedure can be found in the second movement of the Ninth Symphony. — Beethoven's Folksong Settings, p. 208