BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, June 10, 1825
Beethoven writes a letter today from Baden to Joseph Karl Bernard, editor of the Wiener Zeitung and librettist of the projected oratorio Der Sieg des Kreuzes. “Dear friend! It would be good if you sometimes looked in on Karl at Alleegasse No.72, last house, and also took care of his literature, which I will also discuss with you myself. Things are getting bad with him, especially insofar as his treatment of me is concerned. It is extremely hurtful, and it has had bad consequences for my health. He should have written to me by Sunday. I have already written three letters in vain, but there is no reply, because I had to correct him on Sunday, which he absolutely does not want to tolerate. So I had to experience behavior from him such as I have only experienced from his deceased, rude father, whom I also overwhelmed with kindnesses.”
“I suspect that his monster of a mother is playing her games again, and also the intrigues of my brainless and heartless brother, who already intends to go into business with him, and who wants to reprimand and instruct me (like the sow does Minerva in Demosthenes), because I absolutely want nothing to do with his fat whore and her bastard, and even less do I want to live with such people so far beneath me. It was because of him, after all, that I chose Vice Director Reissig [Franz Michael Reisser] at the Polytechnic, as my co-guardian, merely knowing him by writing in a letter. Since [Karl] Peters is here so little, I didn’t think it would be a bad thing for Karl, but I fear we will experience a lot of trouble, because I can’t expect anything out of him since I didn’t know him at all.”
“I’ve been taken advantage of so much by my donkey of a brother, while he and Hr. v. R. are concerned that he [Karl] should no longer be with me at all. Oh, how fine, just keep giving money– I wrote to R. from here just a few days ago, because I was so weak that I could hardly deal with anything and how lovingly they cared for me, you will hear everything verbally, the terrible 4th floor, oh God, what a life without a wife; you become prey to every stranger. Since you live nearby, I ask you also to go to R. and give him my following guardianship documents, and to inform him how Blöchlinger [Karl’s former schoolmaster] absolutely did not want her in the house, and Dr. B.[Bach, Beethoven’s attorney] and I therefore sought and received police assistance, and she is still under police supervision because of this.”
“I shall remain true to my principles in this regard until the end of my life, but should Karl again have contact with her at home, or be helped to do so, one cannot imagine what I will do, for I am finally tired of experiencing the most shameful ingratitude for so much sacrifice and generosity.”
“You need not worry about the oratorio; I will tell you when I need it. You could come here one Sunday, with Karl and your wife and dine with me. Now you can still get transport from here [in Baden to Vienna] at reasonable prices.”
“R. can be found from 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and also from 9 o’clock in the morning, where I believe he can only be found upstairs before the lectures start.”
Brandenburg Letter 1991; Anderson Letter 1387. The original is held at the Bonn Beethovenhaus, H.C. Bodmer Collection Br 47) and can be seen here:
https://www.beethoven.de/en/media/view/5270702387101696/scan/0
Also today, Brother Johann writes several letters from his estate in Gneixendorf. The first is to Nephew Karl, in response to a letter from him. Karl had mentioned to Ludwig on May 29 that they needed to write to Johann sometime, so Karl’s letter probably was sent not long after that. “Dear Karl! Yesterday I came from Linz and found your letter, which gave me great joy, as I can see from it that you are diligent and realize that one is a miserable person if one does not learn much, for one can lose everything through a misfortune, except what one has learned. Therefore I recommend you do not neglect your languages, for you would only become a common merchant’s servant without being completely proficient in English, Italian, and French. You are now almost 20 years old, so you will still have time to make it so that you do not become a gray-haired servant, for that is a very hard lot.”
“Enclosed here is a letter for your Uncle. I wrote to him about your suggestions, but I think you should go out to him more often than just on Sundays. It is true, it is difficult to be with him, but if you consider what your uncle has already done for you, he has certainly spent more than 10,000 florins on you, and what trouble and difficulties you have already caused him. In your youth, one does not see this, but when you get older, you will understand it better. Therefore, I ask you to do what you can to help him, for you have a lot to pay him back. But you must divide it up so that your studies do not suffer.”
“As for the winter, personally I believe that it is definitely better if you stay where you are now. If you use your youth there as you are obliged to, then you will not have the unpleasant feeling of being a burden to your old uncle for much longer. Now, farewell. Don’t think now about how you will enjoy this life, but be diligent now, so that you can enjoy it pleasantly later.”
“This is the wish of your benevolent uncle, v. Beethoven.”
“P.S. the letter to your uncle became too long, so I did not enclose it.”
Brandenburg Letter 1989; Albrecht Letter 410. The original of the letter is held at the City and State Library in Vienna (I.N.36448). The second letter, the long one written to Ludwig, is not known to exist, but it is catalogued as Brandenburg Letter 1990. Karl is actually only 18, having been born on September 4, 1806.
The difference in the perspectives of the two uncles as to how Nephew Karl is progressing, written on the same day, hardly could be more stark.
Jeremias Bermann again runs his advertisement for Beethoven’s “grande Sonate pathétique pour le Pianoforte” [op.13] today in the Wiener Zeitung, Nr.130, at 564.