BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, January 6, 1826
Beethoven writes a short undated note to unpaid assistant Karl Holz inviting him to mid-day dinner sometime after Beethoven’s return to Vienna from Baden and his first letter to Holz after his return on October 17 1825, and before Beethoven’s departure to Gneixendorf on September 28, 1826. Considering today’s conversation includes dinner and proofreading of the op.130 quartet, it might date from today. “I am at home, as it is already 11:30.—I hope to see the proofreading, etc. at the table.”
“Yours sincerely, Beethoven.”
Brandenburg Letter 2078; Anderson Letter 1459. This letter may relate to the proofreading of one of the late quartets op.130, 131 or 135. The proofreading of op.132 should already have been completed by Beethoven’s return to Vienna in October of 1825. The original letter is held by the Bonn Beethovenhaus, H.C. Bodmer Collection BBr 101, and can be seen here:
https://www.beethoven.de/de/media/view/6577887461244928/scan/0
Today is the holiday of the Epiphany, so unpaid assistant Karl Holz does not have to work in his office, and instead is available to do proofreading for Beethoven. Although it was snowy yesterday, today it is dry and they can take a walk. They do so and have midday dinner. Holz asks whether Beethoven is having soup, and whether Karl is coming today. He will join them later on. [Likely he is doing homework today first.]
Mathias Artaria will have to show the letter to the Censor which Beethoven received from Galitzin concerning the dedication of the quartet op.130. “Otherwise the title page absolutely may not be engraved with it.” Artaria has to make the edition according to what the Censor approves. The quartet will be published on the spot, but Artaria doesn’t want to do it earlier because of the possibility of pirate reprinting. This way, the third quartet, op.130, will appear earlier than the first two (opp.127 and 132). Once it is incubated, it will work. But it cannot be too easy, otherwise unauthorized individuals will print it and profane it.
Holz makes a joke about the police investigating the food and drink at the place where they are having dinner. “The police here taste the most; here there is no table in the worst beer house where such a clever bloodhound has not sat. In our times, stupid people are the most valued. Obscurantism is the greatest formal principle in the federal Diet.”
Haslinger would know the next step that needs to be taken. [Prof. Albrecht suggests this may relate to the dedication of the Ninth Symphony.] The King of Bavaria at one time had been considered for the dedication, but he has dissolved the Kapelle. He has no sense of art and is very miserly. So he is not appropriate. Perhaps Saxony would be a possibility? Holz will make inquiry through Count Peter Paul Marcolini (1785-1863), who does everything in Vienna on behalf of Saxony. Significant gifts are given to artists there.
Holz says he will return the proofs to Artaria as he finishes with them. Holz suggests Ludwig have Karl be told where they are going. He reminds Beethoven that they have a quartet concert on Sunday afternoon, January 8th. The Beethoven quartet featured will be the op.18/1 quartet in F major. Holz writes the first two bars from the quartet in the conversation book. Holz follows that with what appears to be bar 17 of the first violin part, an octave lower.
Holz expects they will see Brother Johann today at the rehearsal. They always rehearse the Beethoven quartets, but not the Haydns and Mozarts. They go better without rehearsal.
Holz hopes to be finished with the proofreading on Tuesday, January 10. The small notes strain his eyes too much. If Beethoven wants to give op.132 to Artaria as well, Holz can proofread that copy. Holz asks whether Beethoven would prefer payment from Artaria in hard ducats, or in bank notes.
Nephew Karl joins them at this point, as they are discussing the profitability of music publishers. Certainly they make 100% profit, but it takes a long time. Purchases reserved for their regular customers are the most profitable, since they can get maybe 100% [since it takes low effort to sell them.] Karl ponders the collections of Mozart quartets; the publishers of them have made 500 percent profit, at least through his 50th work. Publishers and apothecaries [the latter appears to be a dig at Uncle Johann] make the highest profit percentage.
Holz feels that publishers will finally come to see that they have nothing to risk with Beethoven’s works. The op.130 quartet can be ready in as little as 6 weeks. [It does not in fact appear until May, 1827.] But first it needs to be copied for Schuppanzigh for the performance. Holz says he told Schuppanzigh he wants to take over the proofreading.
Holz appears to go home to finish the proofreading.
Conversation Book 101, 36r-41v.