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" The
Musical Times 149, no. 1903 (2008): 17-35.
Beethoven used birdsong, specifically motifs of the yellowhammer, blackbird, and song thrush,
as inspiration for motifs within his own works. The Op. 53 piano sonata, Op. 58 piano concerto,
Op. 57 piano sonata, and op. 67 symphony contain themes that evolved from the song of the
yellowhammer. The blackbird song may have contributed to the theme of the Grosse fugue and
concurrently inspired the “Es muss sein!” theme from Op. 135. Combining these relations with
documentation Beethoven’s well-known walking excursions, sketchbooks, and claims from rival
contemporaries such as Abbé Gelinek allows for a new means of entry in Beethoven’s oeuvre.