<P> It is not certain who "Elise" was . Max Unger suggested that Ludwig Nohl may have transcribed the title incorrectly and the original work may have been named "Für Therese", a reference to Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza (1792--1851). She was a friend and student of Beethoven's to whom he supposedly proposed in 1810, though she turned him down to marry the Austrian nobleman and state official Wilhelm von Droßdik in 1816 . Note that the piano sonata no . 24, dedicated to Countess Thérèse von Brunswick, is also referred to sometimes as "für Therese". The Austrian musicologist Michael Lorenz has shown that Rudolf Schachner, who in 1851 inherited Therese von Droßdik's musical scores, was the son of Babette Bredl, born out of wedlock . Babette in 1865 let Nohl copy the autograph in her possession . </P> <P> According to a 2010 study by Klaus Martin Kopitz, there is evidence that the piece was written for the German soprano singer Elisabeth Röckel (1793--1883), later the wife of Johann Nepomuk Hummel . "Elise", as she was called by a parish priest (she called herself "Betty" too), had been a friend of Beethoven's since 1808 . In 2015 Kopitz published further sources about Beethoven's relationship to Elisabeth and the famous piano piece . It shows that she was also a close friend of Anna Milder - Hauptmann and lived together with her in the Theater an der Wien . The singer was the first who played the title role of Beethoven's opera Fidelio . In a letter to Elisabeth she called her indeed "Elise". </P> <P> In 2014, the Canadian musicologist Rita Steblin suggested that Elise Barensfeld might be the dedicatee . Born in Regensburg and treated for a while as a child prodigy, she first travelled on concert tours with Beethoven's friend Johann Nepomuk Mälzel, also from Regensburg, and then lived with him for some time in Vienna, where she received singing lessons from Antonio Salieri . Steblin argues that Beethoven dedicated this work to the 13 - year - old Elise Barensfeld as a favour to Therese Malfatti who lived opposite Mälzel's and Barensfeld's residence and who might have given her piano lessons . Steblin admits that question marks remain for her hypothesis . </P> <P> The piece is basically in rondo form, ABACA . It is in A minor and in time . It begins with an A minor theme marked Poco moto (in some motion), with the left hand playing arpeggios alternating between A minor and E major . The same motifs follow around C major and G major, before returning to the original theme . The B section in the submediant major of F major which concludes in 32nd note runs leading to a repeat of the A section . In the C section, an agitated theme in the subdominant key of D minor is accompanied by repetitive chords on a pedal point, with some dramatic diminished seventh chords . This section concludes with an ascending A minor arpeggio followed by a chromatic descent over two octaves, leading to another repeat of the A section . While the A section is not difficult to play, the runs in the B section and the rapid rising figure in the C section require more pianistic skill . </P>

What is the meaning behind beethoven's fur elise