BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, January 14, 1825

Now that the proofreading of the scores for Schott is finished, Ludwig can give more attention to the finishing touches on the new quartet, op.127.

This morning, the new housekeeper stops by Karl’s apartment to tell him that she would like Uncle Ludwig to give her the money for shopping before she goes out, because otherwise she can’t get anything good. Also, today she had to pay for the new dishes to replace the old cracked and broken ones.

After classes, Karl comes to Ludwig’s apartment to pass on this message. Karl says he paid the bill from yesterday out of the money they received, so it comes out almost exactly. She shouldn’t have needed to ask for more. Ludwig asks Karl what he should give her; Karl shrugs and tells him whatever he wants to give her.

Ludwig asks what is for mid-day dinner. Karl reports that the plan is pastry and a rabbit. The housekeeper needs to go shopping first, though, or there won’t be anything good. But since it’s market day, she will need more money than she was given.

Brother Johann stops by to pick up the bank shares from Ludwig, so he can collect the dividends that are payable on them. There is still time for him to go before 3 o’clock. Johann also volunteers to write a letter to someone unidentified tomorrow.

Johann says that when he goes to the bank, he will also look around for violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh. When Johann returns with the money, he’ll let Ludwig know whether he can be found at the coffee house, since he doesn’t go there every day.

Beethoven starts drafting a letter, possibly to Friedrich Kanne, editor of the Vienna Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, from mentions of Handel and Rossini. They were mentioned in an article in the November 10, 1824 issue, Nr.90, about Italian music in England, which said “Today, Handel’s operas are no longer given, but his oratorios still please….one can say, however, that as with this nation’s taste for art and science, its taste for Italian music has also triumphed, as evidenced by the triumph of Rossini there.” Beethoven writes some fragments, including “Handel…and this creation by Rossini regarded as no true Master of Art.” Beethoven also has taken some personal offense, writing, “Although only mosquito bites, I still acknowledge those in his stings against me; obviously he had found me to be a rock in a certain sense, where he always [expected] only sand….” [Beethoven appears to have forgotten that the Vienna AMZ ceased publication at the end of December 1824.]

Johann leaves to visit the bank. Karl corrects his earlier statement; it isn’t market day today after all, but it’s tomorrow (Saturday). “The works will be delivered tomorrow.” [The scores of the Missa Solemnis and Ninth Symphony are to be delivered to Schott’s agent Fries.] On Friday, it’s difficult to get sausages. [Fridays were meatless in Vienna, and uncured sausages would be quite perishable, as Prof. Albrecht observes.]

Karl notes that Count Moritz Lichnowsky has ordered his house steward to get a new servant, coachman, cook, chamber maid and kitchen maid. He has a different group of people every month. [Lichnowsky had been a regular friend of Beethoven, until they had a falling out last year over the Akademie concerts.]

Ludwig tries removing some ink spots from the paper. Karl mentions that although he can remove those few spots, it will be hard to do so without removing the musical notes with them.

Karl makes a series of intriguing comments, apparently part of a conversation with Uncle Ludwig about the possible trip to England: “He will not have anything done until we bring the works. For Scotland, England, and the New World. Not without a fight.”

Johann returns from the bank, in a celebratory mood. “I shall take you to the best and most beautiful coffee house, where there is no smoking and everything is served in silver. It is only 100 paces from here, then I’ll go right away and get Schuppanzigh for you.” [The nearby coffee house is that operated by Ignaz Neuner. He had designated a room for ladies, in which there was no smoking, but card games could be played. Neuner did indeed serve everything with silver, but Johann exaggerates the distance, since it was about 900 feet from Beethoven’s apartment–some very large paces indeed.]

Ludwig and Karl settle in with their coffee, but Johann returns without violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, apparently unable to find him. Johann sees Karl’s comment about Lichnowsky, and Johann says he hasn’t even seen him since last June. But his wife Therese goes to visit Lichnowsky’s wife [former singer Johanna Stummer. Next year, Karl will tell his uncle that Therese went there to meet clandestinely with her lover.]

Johann approves of the wine, calling it good and healthy. The housekeeper mentioned to him that there was a kitchen maid there already today, but she refused to carry wood and water. So she commissioned someone else to find another maid. The old woman, Barbara Holzmann, always gossiped in the house, and the kitchen maid learned the same bad habits from her. The housekeeper wanted to speak with the kitchen maid alone in the room, so the other maid would not hear what she had to say.

Johann asks for the sheet for the bank shares twice, and then departs. Beethoven returns to his apartment and continues drafting ideas for the letter to Kanne. “I acknowledge the stings of the mosquitos who wrote this. Heaven forbid that it should say that I also keep a Journal where the departed spirits of such an honorable person are involved….His deception will be found and find…”

Johann returns, having run into Joseph Bernard, editor of the Wiener Zeitung and librettist for the projected oratorio Der Sieg des Kreuzes. Bernard tells him that his landlord, who is worth 700,000 florins, shot himself today because 1000 florins were missing from his strongbox.

That’s not all the mayhem Johann learned about. Early today, a soldier shot his corporal with two bullets, because the corporal had punished him on orders from the captain.

Ludwig jots down another thought for his letter: “Herr Rossini, who is formless because he cannot create something that isn’t already there; not because he wants to, but because he cannot do anything more than a dabbler.”

Johann wants to know the name of the captain who treated Ludwig at Seelig’s wine house. Wasn’t the name Bauer? [Johann is confusing English Navy Captain Reigersfeld with Captain Caspar Bauer, who acted as a courier for Beethoven and Ferdinand Ries when he was in London. According to Schindler, Beethoven wrote often to Reigersfeld.] Johann asks how long it has been since he heard from the English captain. The Six Bagatelles op.126 could be dedicated to him, Johann suggests. Ludwig wonders who is asking for dedications. Johann tries to clarify, no one is asking for anything at all. [The set of bagatelles was published without any dedication.] Johann Stumpff in London can handle matters there for Ludwig.

Johann reassures Ludwig that Schuppanzigh will surely come to see him tomorrow morning. Ludwig should stay at home since it is difficult for the obese violinist to get up these stairs. [Ludwig lived on the fourth floor, fifth floor American, and Schuppanzigh certainly would have struggled reaching his apartment.]

Ludwig, possibly feeling deprived on a meatless Friday, asks what will be cooked for dinner tomorrow. Roasted kidneys, mid-day, Karl reports, and poultry in the evening. Johann is buying pheasants for 2 florins each. There are 10 rolls. Ludwig asks how much those cost, and Karl says 54 [kreutzers.] Johann says that in Linz, it costs only 16 groschen.

Conversation Book 81, 4r-10v.

About now, the organizers of the Lower Rhenish Music Festival write to the Schott publishing house, asking them whether the Ninth Symphony will be in print in time for the festival to be held in Aix-la-Chapelle in late May. The plan is for the Symphony to be performed at the festival, with Ferdinand Ries acting as the conductor.