Product Description
Translated as (Duet with Two Obligato Eyeglasses) or k/a The Obligato/Eyeglass Duo.
Originally written for viola and cello, I have arranged the 2nd mvt, the minuetto and trio, for a cello duet.
This duet for viola and cello from 1796-1797 is believed to have been written for Beethoven's longtime frind, Baron Nikolaus Zmeskall. The Baron was an accomplished cellist, and Beethoven had played the viola back in Bonn. Both men wore spectacles at times, which is believed to be the genesis of the curious name.
Apparently Beethoven wrote Zmeskall a letter containing these lines: "Dearest Baron Garbage-truck driver, I am obliged to you for the weakness of your eyes." Perhaps Zmeskall lent Beethven his eyeglasses. Who knows? One thing is certain: the piece exudes a sense of sheer playfulness, similar in spirit (if not style) to Mozart's Duo for Violin and Viola in B-Flat.
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