BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, June 9, 1820

Conversation Book 14, leaves 9r through 13v

Beethoven goes to Vienna either late in the day on the 9th, or very early in the morning of Saturday, June 10th. In the afternoon before he departs Mödling, he spends some time with a Viennese newspaper, the Intelligenzblatt, of June 8th, jotting down advertisements he finds of interest.

Beethoven makes note of a housekeeper who wishes to work in the country and who has good testimonials. According to an ad in the paper, a fresh batch of an acidic mineral water from Marienbad is available at a shop under the bridge over the Vienna City Moat. Beethoven makes note of another apartment for the fall, and tells himself that he should visit both it and the one that he had noted on Wednesday, June 7.

Despite his constant money worries, Beethoven has not given up his dreams of buying property in the country. He notes two such ads, one for a beautiful country estate in Neudorf, with 16 acres of land, seven fields and two horse carts. Neudorf is just east of Mödling.

Along the same theme, Beethoven makes notes of ads for two books for sale in Vienna: The Art of Gardening, and Nagel’s Complete Guide for Young Butterfly Collectors (probably for Karl, since later in June Beethoven will make a note to get Karl a butterfly catcher).

Beethoven continues his shopping list for the city, adding a pound of candle wax, sheets and pillowcases, curtain rings, shoes, and an overcoat for the servant. He reminds himself to take along his money sack for his substantial shopping. This purse will be the subject of problems on another shopping trip later in June. He also notes he should take a piano out to nephew Karl at Blöchlinger’s Institute.