Stewardship Report - Eastern University

THE BEETHOVEN BLESSING
Palmer Seminary discovers important Beethoven music manuscript
The lost autograph manuscript of one
of composer Ludwig van Beethoven's
Beethoven scholars. Its rediscovery will
allow a complete reassessment of this
most revolutionary works was discov- extraordinary music." It was sold at
ered in the library archives of Palmer Sotheby's in London December 1 to
Theological Seminary of Eastern
an anonymous buyer for $1.72 million.
University. The Grosse Fuge in B flat What makes this "Beethoven
major (Op. 134) is written for piano four- Blessing" even more astounding is that it
hands and was found in the Library this follows on the "Mozart Miracle," the
summer by Heather Carbo, circulation Seminary's discovery in 1990 of original
supervisor in the Austen K. deBlois music manuscripts by Mozart, Haydn,
Library, who was looking through some Strauss, Meyerbeer and Spohr. After
obscure archival materials. "I'd heard oral being authenticated, they were also put
history about a Beethoven manuscript, so up for sale at Sotheby's of London, where
I recognized
they yielded
what I had
proceeds of
found immedi-
$1,576,000.
ately," she says.
Dr. Wallace
The 80-page
Smith, president
album was on
of Palmer
public display
Theological
Oct. 13 at Palmer
Seminary, said,
Theological
"I was both
Seminary and
thrilled and
drew all the local
overjoyed when
media as well as
I heard about
many music
the rediscovery
fans, teachers
of this wonder-
and students.
ful manuscript,
The story broke
to the world in an
Stephen Roe and Heather Carbo with the manuscript
Heather found in the Seminary Library archives.
a true original
by an artist for
exclusive New
the ages." All of
York Times article the morning of Oct. 13. these valuable manuscripts were part of
Dr. Jeffrey Kallberg at the University a collection presented to the Seminary in
of Pennsylvania authenticated the manu- 1950 by Margaret Treat Doane, daughter
script, as did Dr. Stephen Roe, head of of the industrialist and hymn-writer
Sotheby's Manuscript department, who William Howard Doane. At the time of
said, "This is an amazing find. The man- the Mozart sale, there were suspicions
uscript was only known from a brief that not all of the Doane bequest had
description in a catalog in 1890 and it has been accounted for and now this discov-
never before been seen or described by ery of the Grosse Fuge proves that this
Music professors Ron Matthews (left) and
David Maness view the rare manuscript.
was not just a rumor but a fact.
Palmer Theological Seminary, formerly
Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary,
was founded in 1925 for the primary
purpose of upholding the authority of
Scripture in the realm of theological
education. Visit www.palmerseminary.edu
to learn more about the Seminary.
Eastern University is a coeducational,
comprehensive Christian university that
integrates faith, reason and justice for its
3,700 students in undergraduate, graduate,
Seminary, international and accelerated
adult programs. Eastern is comprised
of a School of Arts and Sciences,
Templeton Honors College, Campolo
College of Graduate and Professional
Studies, Palmer Theological Seminary,
and the Esperanza College (formerly
NECHE). Eastern was founded as part of
the Seminary in 1925 and became a university
in 2001. Visit www.eastern.edu
for more information.
EASTERN.EDU FALL 2005 THE NEWS MAGAZINE OF EASTERN UNIVERSITY
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