IMSLP Forums

it occurs to me I should ask this here too- TP Ryder (published in 1878) and several other composers, I think, in the 19th century wrote transcriptions and variations on a piece they called "Pleyel's hymn". (No, it's not the "St. Antony theme" by Haydn that's I gather probably not by Pleyel or Haydn and which Brahms varied in his op.56.) As to the Pleyel hymn, see Ryder's work @ IMSLP (or find it at LoC.)

Does anyone (I don't! not a "rhetorical question.") recognize the origin of this theme (by Pleyel or by anyone else)- who by and what work by them? (I am guessing Ryder did not write it himself- but I could be mistaken...)

Eric S.

It's the theme from the second movt. of his String Quartet in G Major,
op. 20 #4.
Look for "6 String Quartets, B. (for Benton) 346-351" on the Pleyel page and go
to B. 349; the second movt. starts on page 13.
Apparently the simple theme ended up being set to a Masonic text, resulting in its reputation as "Pleyel's Hymn".

Thanks! (And yes, Rita Benton (1918-80) apparently did really excellent work for Pleyel and other composers.)