Katie Mahan | Beethoven Für Elise at Beethoven-Haus Bonn

Pianist Katie Mahan performs Beethoven's beloved Für Elise in the Kammermusiksaal of the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany - the city where Beethoven was born! - as part of "Heaven & Hell", her latest project for Steinway & Sons. Full album will be released on October 3, 2025.

🎶 About this video:
Who was Elise?
The Bagatelle in A minor WoO 59 known as "Für Elise" is without question one of the most popular pieces ever composed for the piano. It is also one of the most perplexing. The original manuscript for this miniature has been lost without a trace, and although likely composed in 1810, it was first published in 1867 by the Beethoven scholar Ludwig Nohl who claimed to have seen the original autograph score. There is unfortunately only a single remaining sketch leaf for Für Elise which also contains sketches for other works and is part of a larger collection known as the “Sauer” sketchbook. Furthermore, there is no title or dedication whatsoever on the leaf; it is simply marked “No 12.” We therefore have to take Nohl’s word for it that the manuscript included the dedication "Für Elise am 27. April zur Erinnerung von L. v. Bthvn.” In any case, the question remains, who exactly was Elise? Beethoven fell in love with a number of unattainable women including Josephine Von Brunswik, Elisabeth Röckel, Giulietta Giucciardi, Marie Bigot, Marie von Erdödy, Antonie Brentano and Therese Malfatti. However, as there does not appear to have been any women names Elise among Beethoven’s circle of friends or acquaintances, many scholars believe that Nohl may have misread the dedication, and that the work was intended to read “Für Therese”, not “Für Elise.”A plausible explanation for this theory is that, as Beethoven only attended grammar school through the age of 10 - at which point his father forced him to withdraw to focus solely on his musical education - his handwriting was notoriously messy and challenging to read throughout his life. Furthermore, the person who best fits as the dedicatee is Therese Malfatti, who was a friend and student of Beethoven, and to whom it is believed that Beethoven may have proposed in 1810.

In this latest recording and music video from Katie Mahan, she explores the mystery of Elise. The video begins with a glimpse at the many women who could have been Elise, finally focusing in on Therese Malfatti. As the story unfolds, the music carries us through Bonn’s historic streets and into the Beethoven-Haus museum, where Beethoven’s legacy lives on. The combination of live performance and cinematic imagery offers both a tribute to Beethoven’s genius and a glimpse into his world.

Filmed on location at the Kammermusiksaal, museum and courtyard of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn.

This piece is part of Katie Mahan's upcoming album "Heaven & Hell" on the Steinway & Sons label (STNS 30252) which will be released on October 3, 2025: https://lnk.fuga.com/katiemahan_heave...

Find Steinway & Sons Online:
https://www.steinway.com

Find Katie Mahan Online:
https://katiemahan.de
www.katiemahan.com

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