BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO: Saturday, April 26, 1823

Nephew Karl comes to Uncle Ludwig’s apartment for midday dinner. His philosophy teacher bought him the best edition of Sophocles. Karl is pleased to have his uncle all to himself, rather than dealing with Uncle Johann or Schindler. Karl has another written examination already next week.

Although it is housekeeper Barbara Holzmann’s day off, she has come by to check and is offering to help until the maid shows up. A former housekeeper named Babette, who always wrote Beethoven New Year’s letters, wishes to come back as a kitchen maid. She will be coming by later.

About 2:30 pm, Schindler and Brother Johann arrive. Schindler had rehearsal from 8 am to 2 pm, so he couldn’t see Müller about the country house in Hetzendorf. But he will go tomorrow morning to try to make arrangements.

Painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (1793-1865) came by to sketch Beethoven for his portrait yesterday. Johann says he is very good. He warns that if Ludwig writes to England [probably a reference to the letter to Ries sent yesterday] he needs to keep a copy so he can reply precisely when there is a response.

Attorney Bach looked at the proposed apartment in Baden bei Wien, and he says “that it is one of the most beautiful to be found.”

Johann wants to sell his estate in Gneixendorf; once it’s sold he will stay in Vienna. He can take care of dealing with the copyists, if Ludwig would like.

Mortiz Lichnowsky is anxious about the new libretto, Melusine, by Franz Grillparzer. He needs to know when Beethoven will begin, what changes will need to be made, and when it will be finished. Joseph Bernard insists that the libretto for the oratorio Der Sieg des Kreuzes is finished and he will deliver it soon; he has also found a subject for an opera that is very fine. Johann asks how Ludwig likes the Grillparzer libretto.

There is more discussion of Baron Müller’s cottage in Hetzendorf. Beethoven needs to make a decision, since if Schindler goes to see Baron Müller tomorrow with the offer of 400 florins, and then Beethoven backs out, they will all look ridiculous. Beethoven refuses to commit, so Schindler says he will tell Müller that he will not take the apartment. Johann interjects that if Beethoven doesn’t take the country house, Moritz Lichnowsky will.

Beethoven thinks he would prefer to go to Baden. Schindler says he can go there in August, and that will be time enough. Müller’s apartment has a small kitchen upstairs, which Schindler forgot to look at on their first trip.

Beethoven complains about Waldmüller, but Schindler says “I must assure you, though, that I saw the most beautiful paintings from his hand at his place.” Waldmüller is married to the Court Opera singer Katharina Waldmüller (1794-1850), who Beethoven is familiar with. [Waldmüller’s portrait of Beethoven is seen on the annexed YouTube video of WoO 184.]

Schindler then departs to run errands. The remaining trio go out for coffee. Karl jokes that Schindler is probably angry that he didn’t get invited for afternoon coffee.

Karl’s schedule requires him to go to bed early; he is usually asleep by 9 pm; his classes begin at 7 am so he has to leave by 6:30. [His curfew is in any event at 7.]

Replies have still not been received from Russia and Sweden regarding the subscriptions to the Missa Solemnis.

Ludwig complains about his eye again; Johann tells him not to wash it too often. Also, he should not use silk, but linen. Johann agrees that Ludwig should go straight to Baden; moving around all the time costs too much money. There is also a good sulfur bath in Meidling. Johann has some good pipe tobacco, smuggled from Hungary, that he shares with Ludwig.

Karl is taken back to Blöchlinger’s by Johann. Later in the day, Ignaz Schuppanzigh visits Beethoven. [The conversation book entries for this talk are written backwards, from 13v to 1r] He has submitted his application for the orchestral director position at the Kärntnertor Theater to Louis Antoine Duport, but has not spoken to anyone about it. He suggests perhaps Beethoven could send a recommendation to Duport.

The weather today is beautiful, and it’s too bad Beethoven hasn’t been able to go out. Schuppanzigh will be giving a concert on May 4th. Mlle. Unger said that Beethoven sent her lieder, and they please her very much. Schuppanzigh promises that before he leaves Vienna again, he will act as concertmaster for the Missa Solemnis. The Vienna City Orchestra is poor, and often has an overdriven tempo, losing strength and clarity.

Schuppanzigh knows Prince Galitzin, who recently commissioned three quartets from Beethoven. “He lives only for you and in you.” He has an annual income of 60,000 ducats. At some point he intends to go to Paris.

Schuppanzigh stays for dinner; he is served three plates of soup, possibly as a joke about his obesity.

He thinks Ferdinand Ries, Beethoven’s former student, is doing very well in London. Schuppanzigh thinks he steals too much from Beethoven; he’s more obvious than most. Schuppanzigh does like the playing of pianist John Field (1782-1837), a pupil of Muzio Clementi, who has been in Russia for the last twenty years. He is a very fine person and a great admirer of Beethoven. He is the only person able to handle the piano in a manner similar to Beethoven himself. On the other hand, Ignaz “Jewboy Moscheles” is also making a sensation in London, and he cannot understand the fascination for him at all.

In Lemberg [Lvov], Schuppanzigh heard Mozart’s son Wolfgang (1791-1844) play one of his father’s concertos in B-flat. “What a miserable solo part that is, which was executed to our great admiration, especially because only Slavs played with him.”

Schindler returns about now, complaining about publishers Cappi & Diabelli and calling them scoundrels. They want to have the Variations now, but pay for them later. They are talking that way now that they have the score. The copyist says he will have the copy ready by Wednesday [April 30] and will bring the manuscript along. Schindler offers to write to Ries about the Variations, since he knows him already, to let him know that Diabelli wants to publish them as soon as two weeks from now.

Beethoven continues complaining about his eyes. Schuppanzigh also warns him against washing his eye too much with water. He makes a rude pun, “A discharge from the eyes [Augenfluss] is not as dangerous as a discharge from the vagina. [weisser Fluss].”

Schindler again presses Beethoven for a decision about the country house in Hetzendorf. Beethoven needs two rooms; Holzmann can live there. Or he could go to Gneixendorf with Johann. Schuppanzigh agrees that fresh air banishes all unpleasantness. He will visit Beethoven in the country, and they can compose a new Quartet together there.

Beethoven today makes a gift to Schuppanzigh of the canon “Falstafferel,” WoO 184, another of the persistent jokes about his weight. The original autograph (Brandenburg Letter 1637, Anderson Letter 1168) is held by the Basel University Library (Autogr. Slg. Geigy-Hagenbch Nr. 1667). The canon WoO 184 is performed here by the Kammerchor der Berliner Singakademie, conducted by Dietrich Knothe, with the Berlin Solisten:

After Schuppanzigh departs, Schindler continues to complain about Cappi & Diabelli. Cappi was annoyed and said that this proposal was worse than the first one.

Copyist Wenzel Schlemmer says he cannot make a copy of the Missa Solemnis for less than 60 florins [a little more than 13 ducats of the 50 ducat subscription charge.] Even then his profit is only about 6 florins; he could charge less if Beethoven were to supply the paper. The main thing is that the work be copied well and beautifully.

Schindler reminds Beethoven to write a few lines to Ries, and designate the price for the two works, and he will make arrangements. Tomorrow Schindler has another rehearsal, but he can make arrangements on Monday and Tuesday.

Beethoven makes a shopping list of matches, and for Karl a pair of cashmere trousers and two other trousers made of Nanking, a buff cotton fabric; vests; black ties; and shirts. Later in the evening, Beethoven is at a social engagement (possibly at Blöchlinger’s Institute) where charades is played.

Conversation Book 30, 52v-57r, 13v-1v.