Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt (Beethoven)

Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage op.112 is a cantata composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven set to music the poems here Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Beethoven began in late 1814 with the composition. In the summer of 1815, the piece was completed. The premiere of the work was done on December 25, 1815 in Vienna into a benefit concert for the Civic Hospital Fund. In this concert, Beethoven's oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives rang.

Beethoven had set to music in 1790 in Bonn odes to cantatas ( WoO 87 and WoO 88) than by Klopstock's odes settings of this genre gained popularity. During this time he also Beethoven's interest in Goethe 's poems and first plans for setting of Schiller's poem Ode to Joy, should be from the later Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

Beethoven's Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage was printed until 1822. Beethoven's letters to Goethe about the setting of two poems by Goethe remained unanswered. The two Goethe poems also served Mendelssohn as the basis for his concert overture Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.

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About the Music

The quiet, thoughtful first sentence describes that " deep silence " prevails and the Sea " rests motionless ". These mood shifts in the second set and stormy, because " the fog tear " and " the sky is bright ," and finally " is drawing the distance ."