Ludwig van Beethoven
Duo No. 3 in B flat major, arranged for Horn and Flute
(Original for clarinet and bassoon)
Beethoven's Duo No. 3 in B flat major for clarinet and bassoon is part of a collection of three duos without an opus number, which also includes duos in C major (ROM 007) and F major (ROM 419). As it is an occasional composition, neither its exact date nor the occasion of its origin has been documented; no autograph or contemporary copy survives. The earliest surviving prints did not appear until after Beethoven's death, around 1830, published by André in Offenbach — presumably reprints of a lost French first edition said to have appeared around 1815, according to a contemporary publisher's catalogue.
This arrangement for horn and flute (alternatively violin or oboe) is intended to expand the relatively rare repertoire of duos with horn. The original key has been retained: the horn plays in a middle to low register and can alternatively be performed on Wagner tuba. The flute part can easily be replaced by oboe or violin.
