BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, February 25, 1825

A letter under Beethoven’s name, dated today, goes to Count Joseph Karl von Dietrichstein, who had charge of approving concerts and theatrical productions to be given in Vienna. “Your Excellency! The undersigned respectfully intends to give a concert for his benefit on the first Norma Day [religious holiday] in the month of April of this year, at 7 o’clock in the evening [i.e., Good Friday, April 1, 1825.] He therefore ventures, trusting in the well-known generosity of Your Excellency, to make this most humble request, that Your Excellency would graciously grant him the use of the large Landständischer Hall for this concert to be held. Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer.”

Brandenburg Letter 1938. The original letter, as well as the signature, is in the hand of Karl Holz, who is the second violin in the Schuppanzigh Quartet. Later on, Holz will also act as Beethoven’s unpaid assistant for a time, but he has not yet begun to do so. More likely, this letter was dictated to Holz by Ignaz Schuppanzigh, as a way of making arrangements for the first of the proposed Akademie benefit concerts that he and Brother Johann have been planning. Since Johann has assured Ludwig that he would not have to do anything, this letter is a means of getting the hall reserved for the concert, without bothering Beethoven about it (though he likely knew about it). Count von Dietrichstein will respond on March 1.