BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, December 31, 1824

It appears from comments in the January conversation books that Beethoven celebrates the new year this evening with a beer party at Steiner’s music shop, along with his friend Tobias Haslinger and presumably others. Such New Year’s celebrations there may have been a regular occurrence, which explains why in the musical greeting to Haslinger, WoO 205g, written earlier this year, Beethoven refers to Haslinger as a “beerhouse keeper.” Unfortunately, the conversation book covering the New Year’s celebrations, as well as the first few days of January 1825, is lost. The conversation books resume again on January 6.

In Graz, a new play is presented today for the first time, “New Year’s Eve,” based on Lebrun’s witty “The Two Night Watchmen.” Afterwards was given a dramatic festival play, “The New Year’s Celebration” by August Klingemann (1777-1831). “Before and between the pieces and acts, overtures by Beethoven, [Peter] Winter and [Joseph] Kinsky were produced. The whole event was in support of the poor and showed as much foresight as taste.” Theaterzeitung of April 30, 1825 (Nr.52) at 215.