BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, February 24, 1826
Beethoven writes a short undated note with pencil, possibly today, to unpaid assistant Karl Holz. “I greet you! I beg you to send me your expenses and forgive me if I must consider myself your debtor in everything. Yours in haste, your friend Beethoven.”
Brandenburg Letter 2127; Anderson Letter 1462. The original is held by the Benedictine Abbey in Göttweig. This may relate to the flannel that Beethoven had Holz’s sister Anna purchase for him to make a pair of pants. Holz does total up his expenses for Beethoven later today.
Beethoven makes an errand list today, which has several items from recent lists, indicating he has probably not left the apartment due to his illness.
- Bandages.
- Letter paper.
- Music paper, 12-lined.
- Chocolate machine. [For preparing the chocolate Dr. Braunhofer recommended Beethoven eat as part of his treatment.]
- Concerning the dust from the bed. [Possibly from a straw mattress.]
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven and settles up the expenses for things he has purchased for Beethoven, or errands run for him:
Matches 5 kreutzers
Flannel moistening at 10 kr. per ell 1 florin 40 kreutzers
Bandages, 6 Ells at 8 kr. 48 kreutzers
Total: 2 florins 33 kreutzers.
Holz has pilfered some writing paper from the Landstand offices where he worked, so there was no cost to Beethoven. He wants to pay for it, but Holz says he couldn’t possibly charge for it when it costs him nothing.
Holz has gotten eight ducat coins from Tobias Haslinger that look odd to Beethoven. This payment is from N. Grünbaum, on account of M. Herzfeld, who remains unidentified. Holz inspects the coins and tells Beethoven they are Dutch ducats that have been skillfully cut, but are still full weight. He has Beethoven sign the receipt, dated today, for them. Anderson, Appendix G(18). Beethoven resists but Holz insists, “Just sign.”
Holz reports that one of the directors of the Musikverein declared that the tempo must be much slower [Prof. Ted Albrecht suggests this remark relates to the Second Symphony and Egmont Overture, performed by the Musikverein on February 19.] Beethoven himself doesn’t know that, the director says.
Holz has nearly finished Conversation Book 104, and tells Beethoven he needs a new one.
The projected housekeeper is coming tomorrow to see Holz. If she is acceptable to Beethoven, then she will give notice at her present position. Beethoven wants her to start sooner, and asks if she will suit him. Holz asks who can know that. She needs to have a probationary period. Holz mentions that she doesn’t know arithmetic.
Holz reminds Beethoven that Grillparzer’s libretto to Melusine needs to be sent to the Berlin Opera; there is no time to lose on that if they are to commission an oratorio on it from Beethoven. There needs to be a copy of the libretto made. Holz tells Beethoven just to designate how large the copy should be; Holz suggests the size of a sheet of paper. Nephew Karl will certainly make the copy; he has more of a sense to it than the shopkeepers.
Conversation Book 104, 43r-45r. Leaf 45v is blank. Conversation Book 105 continues being used today, so there is no break between them.
Beethoven probably encloses the official paper obtained from Holz with the following letter to Nephew Karl, asking him to arrange for his semiannual payment of his annuity from Archduke Rudolph, in the amount of 750 florins W.W.: “Dear Son! This receipt must be handed over tomorrow morning, February 25, at court. You do not bind yourself to anything on the form, other than you must agree to the period September 1st, 1825 to the last day of February, 1826.”
“A little less sleep for you, and everything will be fine. Tomorrow at noon, you will hand me the money—I’m truly sorry to have to trouble you about this, but who knows when fate will soon completely free you from such tasks.—”
“Your faithful father.”
“In context, it reads, His Imperial Highness the Archduke Rudolph Eminence and Cardinal.”
Brandenburg Letter 2124; Anderson Letter 1470. The original letter is at the Vienna State and National Library (I.N. 150002). This letter will be picked up and delivered by Brother Johann later today.
Conversation Book 105 consists of 63 leaves, all of which have writing. Holz continues his conversation with Beethoven today in this book. This book covers about ten days of Beethoven’s life in late February and early March. At least one leaf was removed and is held by the Beethovenhaus.
Conversation Book 105 unfortunately was the last one that was mostly completed in translation by Professor Theodore Albrecht, before his untimely death in 2025. We have been provided with a number of other conversation books as to which Professor Albrecht had done rough partial drafts, for which we thank his widow, Professor Carol Padgham Albrecht, who is continuing to edit the published versions of the volumes of the translations that Ted had completed. We plan to continue forward with this feature using translations provided by our frequent collaborator, Birthe Kibsgaard, who has also given assistance to Professor Albrecht.
Holz continues that they need to write to Prince Hatzfeld about the dedication of the Ninth Symphony to the King of Prussia.
Beethoven would like to get one of the copies of the Consecration of the House Overture published by Schott from Steiner. Holz tells him they only have a few, and those are spoken for, so Beethoven will probably have to wait.
Holz brings up the Gratulations-Menuett in E-flat major, WoO 3, which Beethoven had written for Carl Friedrich Hensler’s name day in November of 1822. Hensler managed the Josephstadt Theater. Holz asks if Beethoven would be so kind as to allow it to be performed at one of the Concert spirituel series. “This would be a most appropriate occasion to perform it and it should be made known.”
There is some discussion about the cooking. The meat was not roasted, but was stewed earlier, then placed in the pot. Holz suggests some sauce might be good with it. The housekeeper, identified by the German editors as Frau Lindner, is to make eggs. Holz opines that soft eggs would be better for Beethoven’s stomach. Holz observes that Lindner doesn’t drink, in response to a comment by Beethoven that suggests he thinks she does.
Holz and Beethoven discuss Cherubini’s Mass Nr.3, which was recently performed yesterday in the Vienna Concert spirituel. The Coronation March was interpolated into the Mass, and did not really belong with it, in Holz’s opinion. The March “is neither original nor in a sublime style; it appears that it was a very superficial composition of Cherubini’s. He sought the sublime, the grandiose in peals from brass instruments, and so it was multum clamoris, paulum lanae [much ado about nothing.]”
Holz mentions that Ferdinand Ries is reported to be writing an opera. [His romantic opera Die Räuberbraut, op.156, is premiered on October 15, 1828.]
Abbé Stadler went away yesterday again during the Consecration of the House Overture, op.124. “About Mozart, he always says: ‘I cannot understand more! It is hardly comprehensible! That’s what I tell myself about all of it.'”
Holz commits to translating the English texts of Beethoven’s folksong settings, not according to the translation alone, but to apply the words to the music with the proper emphasis. [The Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung of December 28th, 1825 had criticized the German translations of the 25 Scottish Songs, op.108 for misplacing the accents. Holz and Beethoven likely had a copy of that newspaper in front of them.] “Let me try a few songs once, because I have already made a few good attempts with songs from the French.” One of the phrases that the AMZ particularly criticized, the first phrase of “Music, Love, and Wine,” op.108/1, “O let me music hear,” is described by Holz as meaning “Let me hear music.” Beethoven mentions that at one time Johann Baptist Rupprecht (1776-1846) had been hired by Steiner to translate the folk songs into German, but nothing ever came of it. Holz questions this, since so far as he knows Rupprecht does not know anything about music.
The folksong op.108/1 is here performed by Renate Krahmer, and others, with Eva Ander on piano:
Holz, on his way out, suggests that Nephew Karl can come to the Red Hedgehog, where the Musikverein’s offices are, so Holz doesn’t have to wait outside in the cold for him.
Later today, in the early evening, about 7 o’clock, Brother Johann comes for a short visit. He tells Ludwig that the problem with his digestion is sugar. “Sugar makes the stomach bad.” He could have one Seidl of wine, since anything else would take away Ludwig’s appetite.
Ludwig mentions he is going to have a new trial housekeeper who was a cook at the Count’s. Johann believes that she must therefore be good.
Johann asks Ludwig for the receipt for Karl; since it is already 7 o’clock, it will be too late soon. [This relates to the letter Karl wrote earlier today for the collection of Uncle Ludwig’s annuity from Archduke Rudolph.] Johann takes the letter and the receipt, and departs shortly afterwards, delivering them to Karl.
Conversation Book 105, 1r-6v.