Beethoven created new versions of 47 Scottish melodies LUDWIG van Beethoven made classical arrangements of dozens of traditional Gaelic songs, it has been revealed – although their often-tragic lyrics were never revealed to him due to their political background in the wake of the Jacobite risings in Scotland. The celebrated German composer created new versions of at least 47 Scottish melodies from 1809 to 1820 for the Edinburgh-based folklore collector and publisher George Thomson. German musicologist and Gaelic scholar Dr Michael Klevenhaus has spent five years researching the Gaelic origins of Beethoven’s compositions. His discoveries are revealed in the BBC Alba documentary Òrain Ghàidhlig Beethoven (Beethoven’s Gaelic Songs), to be screened on the channel next week to mark the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth.