Ex. 9-2: Opferlied

Set to a poem by Friedrich von Matthisson, first published in 1790. This text occupied Beethoven throughout almost his entire creative life — from 1794 to 1825.

He first sketched the song in the winter of 1794/95, then drafted the version known as WoO 126 in 1798. Sketches appear again in the Keßler Sketchbook (1801) and in the Triple Concerto manuscript (1806). In 1808, the publisher Simrock in Bonn published an earlier piano version, likely without Beethoven's involvement.

In late 1822, Beethoven composed a new version for three solo voices, choir, and small orchestra. He tried to sell it to several publishers — Peters in Leipzig, Lissner in St. Petersburg, Probst in Leipzig — but all negotiations failed. He revised the work once more in 1824, and this final version (Op. 121b), for solo voice and orchestra, was published by Schott in Mainz in 1825.

The poem's last line, "Das Schöne zu dem Guten" (The beautiful to the good), has been described as a motto reflecting Beethoven's outlook on life and art.