Preface

The Sonata op. 31 no. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), received its epithet Tempest from Schindler’s account (distrusted by most scholars) of a statement by the composer that, in order to understand this work, one must read Shakespeare’s homonymous tragedy. It was composed in 1802 and published the following year by Nägeli in Zurich, as the Cahier 5 of the collection Répertoire des Clavecinistes.
This transcription for two guitars is based on the edition by Dover Publications (New York, 1975). Dover’s edition, in turn, is an unabridged and corrected republication of L. van Beethoven / Klaviersonaten / Nach den Autographen und Erstdrucken rekonstruiert von Heinrich Schenker, published by Universal-Edition A. G. (Vienna and Leipzig, ca. 1923).
I have preserved the original wedge markings, instead of replacing them with staccato signs, as have been often done in modern piano editions.
The recording of the present arrangement is available on the CD Daniel Wolff & Daniel Göritz, New Transcriptions for 2 Guitars – Vol. I (Kreuzberg Records 2007, www.kreuzberg-records.de).