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Время создания: май и июнь 1796 года.
Посвящено: прусскому королю Фридриху Вильгельму II (Friedrich Wilhelm II)
Beethoven did not travel much. Compared to the other two main figures of the Vienna Classic, Haydn and Mozart, he only went on a few concert journeys. As a child (1783) he accompanied his mother to the Netherlands. In 1787 Beethoven came to Vienna for the first time but soon returned as his mother fell seriously ill. In 1792 he went on his second journey to Vienna and finally stayed there. Four years later he went on his only real concert journey to Prague, Dresden, Leipzig and Berlin. In Potsdam he played for King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia who was very interested in music and architecture and had called renowned musicians to his court. Beethoven played with the King's first cellist, Jean Pierre Duport (1741-1818) and composed the two sonatas for violoncello and piano op. 5 for Duport. He then performed the pieces together with the cellist. The sonatas were dedicated to Friedrich Wilhelm II who was a gifted cellist himself and Duport's student. For his services, Beethoven received a precious gift: A golden box filled with Louis d'Or coins.
(beethoven-haus-bonn.de)