Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor (WoO 59, Bia 515) for solo piano, also known as "Für Elise" (German: [fyːɐ̯ ʔeˈliːzə], translated as "For Elise"), is one of Ludwig van Beethoven's most well-known compositions. It was not published during Beethoven's lifetime but was found by Ludwig Nohl 40 years after Beethoven's death. The piece can be called either a Bagatelle or an Albumblatt. The identity of "Elise" remains unknown. Researchers have proposed possible names, including Therese Malfatti, Elisabeth Röckel, and Elise Barensfeld.
History
The score was published in 1867, 40 years after Beethoven's death. Ludwig Nohl, who discovered the piece, stated that the original handwritten copy, now lost, had the title: "Für Elise am 27 April [1810] zur Erinnerung von L. v. Bthvn" ("For Elise on April 27 in memory by L. v. Beethoven"). The music was included in Nohl's book Neue Briefe Beethovens (New Letters by Beethoven), on pages 28 to 33. It was printed in Stuttgart by Johann Friedrich Cotta.
The version of "Für Elise" that is played today is an earlier version that Nohl transcribed. A revised version from 1822, which includes major changes to the accompaniment, was transcribed by Barry Cooper, a Beethoven scholar. The most noticeable difference is that in the first theme, the left-hand arpeggios are delayed by a 16th note. There are a few additional bars in the section leading to the B section, and the rising A minor arpeggio appears later in the piece. The tempo marking Poco moto is believed to have been on the manuscript Nohl transcribed (now lost). The later version includes the marking Molto grazioso. It is believed that Beethoven intended to include the piece in a group of short musical compositions called bagatelles.
Regardless of whether Nohl's edition is accurate, one issue in his version concerns whether the second note in the right hand of bar 7—the first note of the three-note upbeat figure that defines the main melody—is E4 or D4. Nohl's score shows E4 in bar 7 but D4 in similar passages. Many editions change all the figures to begin with E4 until the final bars, where D4 is used and resolved by adding a C to the final A octave. However, the use of D4 in bar 7 can be traced to a draft written by Beethoven, which is now kept at the Beethoven-Haus Bonn. Another reason to support D4 is that the ascending seventh of the melody in this form is repeated in bars 9 to 11, which begin the second section of the main theme.
Luca Chiantore, a pianist and musicologist, argues in his thesis and book Beethoven al piano (2010) that Beethoven may not have created the piece in the form it is known today. He suggests that the original signed manuscript, which Nohl claimed to have transcribed, might not have existed. On the other hand, Barry Cooper wrote in a 1984 article in The Musical Times that one of two surviving sketches closely matches the published version.
Identity of "Elise"
It is not known for certain who "Elise" was, though scholars have proposed several possibilities. Evidence suggests that "Elise" was a close friend of Beethoven and likely an important person in his life.
Max Unger suggested that Nohl may have written the title incorrectly, and the original work might have been named "Für Therese," referring to Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza. She was a friend and student of Beethoven. He is said to have proposed to her in 1810. She married Wilhelm von Droßdik, an Austrian nobleman and official, in 1816. The piano sonata no. 24, dedicated to Countess Thérèse von Brunswick, is sometimes called "für Therese." Michael Lorenz, an Austrian musicologist, found that Rudolf Schachner, who inherited Therese von Droßdik’s musical scores in 1851, was the son of Babette Bredl, who was born out of wedlock. In 1865, Bredl allowed Nohl to copy the original manuscript she possessed. Robert Greenberg, a music teacher at The Great Courses and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, stated that Beethoven’s messy handwriting might have caused others to misread "Für Therese" as "Für Elise."
A 2010 study by Klaus Martin Kopitz showed that the piece may have been written for Elisabeth Röckel, a 17-year-old German soprano singer. She was the younger sister of Joseph August Röckel, who performed in Beethoven’s opera Fidelio in 1806. Elisabeth, called "Elise" by a priest (she later used the name "Betty"), became a friend of Beethoven in 1808. Kopitz suggested Beethoven may have wanted to marry her. In April 1810, Elisabeth accepted a theater position in Bamberg, where she performed as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and became friends with the writer E. T. A. Hoffmann. In 1811, she returned to Vienna and married Johann Nepomuk Hummel, a friend of Beethoven.
In 2015, Kopitz shared more information about Beethoven’s relationship with Elisabeth Röckel and "Für Elise." This included evidence that she was close to Anna Milder-Hauptmann and lived with her and her brother Joseph August in the Theater an der Wien. In an 1830 letter, Milder-Hauptmann referred to Elisabeth as "Elise."
In 2020, an expanded English version of Kopitz’s essay was published, including new sources.
In 2014, Rita Steblin, a Canadian musicologist, proposed that Elise Barensfeld might be the dedicatee. Barensfeld, born in Regensburg, was briefly considered a child prodigy. She toured with Johann Nepomuk Mälzel, a friend of Beethoven, and later lived with him in Vienna, where she studied singing with Antonio Salieri. Steblin suggested that Beethoven dedicated the work to Barensfeld, 13 years old at the time, as a favor to Therese Malfatti, who lived near Mälzel and Barensfeld. Therese may have given Barensfeld piano lessons. Steblin noted that her theory remains uncertain.
Music
The piece follows a five-part rondo structure, written as A-B-A-C-A. It is in A minor and uses an 8-time signature. The opening section (A) features a flowing melody in a two-part structure, marked "Poco moto" (meaning "a little motion"), accompanied by arpeggiated chords. The melody begins with a repeated pattern between the note E and its chromatic neighbor D♯, a sequence that is widely recognized in classical music and often discussed by musicians. At measure 9, the music briefly shifts to the relative major key before returning to A minor, following a prolonged emphasis on the note E. The sequence of notes in these bars—E, F, E, D, C, B—forms the foundation for the two contrasting sections (B and C), creating unity throughout the piece.
Section B, starting at measure 23, is in the submediant key, F major. Its theme echoes the earlier note pattern but is more elaborate. It transitions to the dominant key and includes rapid 32nd-note runs that repeat a cadential progression in C major, similar to a codetta. This section is introduced by a transition in measure 22, where the left hand plays chordal upbeats. The music then returns to A minor at measure 34, repeating the original theme. A later section (C), beginning at measure 59, does not leave the tonic key and functions like a coda, unfolding over a sustained tonic pedal and ending strongly in A minor. This section mirrors earlier material by retracing the descending note pattern and using an expanded version of the original cadence.
The piece briefly shifts to B-flat major (a Neapolitan harmony) before a cadence at measure 76 brings the music to a complete halt. This is followed by an ascending A minor arpeggio and a two-octave chromatic descent, resembling a cadenza, which leads to a final repetition of the A section. The piece ends without a postlude.
Kopitz shares a finding by German organ scholar Johannes Quack that the letters spelling "Elise" can be linked to the first three notes of the piece. In German, E♭ is called "Es" and pronounced "S," so the sequence E–(L)–(I)–S–E translates to E–(L)–(I)–E♭–E. This is enharmonically equivalent to E–(L)–(I)–D♯–E, which sounds the same as the written notes.
Popularity
"Für Elise" is a well-known musical piece. It is considered to have an intermediate level of difficulty, rated as a level 7 out of 10 by The Royal Conservatory of Music. Many children's toys use the melody. In Taiwan, it is one of two songs played by garbage trucks to let people know the trucks are nearby; the other song is "Maiden's Prayer." In Sri Lanka, the melody is used to signal the arrival of tuk-tuks that sell bread.
In the early 2000s, "Für Elise" became a common ringtone, and many websites offering ringtones included at least one version of the melody.
Mina Yang explains that the melody is popular because the first eight notes can be easily adapted into a simple set of sounds, making it suitable for ringtones and music boxes. Additionally, the first eight notes have some unique musical structure.
"Für Elise" is included on the piano playlist of Yamaha's YDP-101 digital piano model, which has 50 piano tracks. It is track number 12 on the YDP-101 model. On the YDP-101S model, it is track number 1. It is also one of the demo tracks on the Casio Privia PX-110 digital piano, where it is listed as track number 24 out of 59.