Beethoven’s incidental music op. 84 was written in 1809 for a performance of Goethe’s drama “Egmont” at the Burgtheater in Vienna. Numerous composers of the day tried their hand at writing music for the dramatic material of Goethe’s tragedy, several in collaboration with the author himself. The overture reflects the themes of the play through its expressive music, and over the last two hundred years it has become one of the most popular works by Beethoven conceived for the stage.

For this new edition, Beethoven specialist Jonathan Del Mar draws on various manuscript sources including a handwritten set of parts which has never been taken into account before. Thus, numerous discrepancies such as missing notes in the flute part or unclear bowing could be clarified for the first time.