BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, June 9, 1826

Nephew Karl stops by the apartment in the Schwarzspanierhaus briefly. His uncle invites him to mid-day dinner. “I cannot possibly stay for lunch, because I have written exams in the afternoon, every Friday; actually, I only came to see you and partly also because I have run out of pens and I wanted to ask you for money for a new bunch, which I could bring with me when going home.”

Uncle Ludwig suggests that Karl join him tonight for supper, after his examinations. “If you want me to come this evening, I shall try to make it possible. I only ask you to have supper ready by half past 8 so that it won’t be too late.” Uncle Ludwig asks how much pens cost. Karl replies, 1 florin 30 kreutzers a bunch. Ludwig says that’s too much, and Karl protests that Ludwig’s pens cost 3-4 florins. “I also need good ones,” Karl insists. He would prefer that they purchase their pens and everything else together to avoid suspicions, but that is not always possible when one is in a hurry. Karl leaves.

Not long later, unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to visit. Beethoven asks Holz how to keep his tobacco from drying out. Holz tells him to put it in an earthenware bowl. “Then cut a turnip into 4 parts and put it in there; then it will always keep well, but the bowl must be completely clean and not have any odor. The tobacco needs to be ground sooner, though. It is all in a clump. Holz cautions Beethoven to put the tobacco away safely so the servants do not know about it. Such tobacco should cost about 45 kreutzers W.W.

Beethoven invites Holz to dinner, but he also declines, saying he has already been invited out today. Yesterday he was in Döbling in the country. He spends his evenings there with a friend, the stock exchange broker Franz Edler von Bogner (born 1774). [Later this summer, Holz will take Beethoven to Döbling and introduce him to Bogner. Holz will eventually marry one of Bogner’s daughters.]

The quartet op.127 is proving very popular; the copies of the quartet that Schott’s sent to Steiner are said to have sold out in the space of 14 days.

Holz asks whether Beethoven is satisfied with the current maid, Marie Stiegel. Beethoven’s response is not recorded, but given she lasts much longer than others, the impression is probably positive at this point.

Raphael Georg Kiesewetter believes that Ignaz von Mosel still does not know that Beethoven has chosen to write an oratorio on Saul [Mosel is putting on a performance of Handel’s oratorio on the same topic.] Kiesewetter can keep Mosel in line, since he is vice president of the Musikverein, which Mosel has always supported strongly. In any event, Holz believes that the interest in Handel’s oratorios has really died down. Beethoven takes umbrage at this comment, expressing his belief that Handel is unmatched. Holz says he is only speaking about the general opinion. He asks whether Beethoven is familiar with Handel’s Saul. [Probably not; they have previously discussed borrowing a copy so Beethoven would know what to avoid.] Kuffner is quite proud of the Victory Chorus that he has written. The most beautiful such one is in Handel’s Judas Maccabeus, [“See, the conqu’ring hero comes“] Holz says.

Holz writes a snippet of the third movement Allegro vivace from Beethoven’s cello sonata in F, op.5/1. He apparently conducts a bit of it, and asks Beethoven whether that is the right tempo.

Beethoven asks whether the problem with the foreign newspapers being passed around in the intellectual society Ludlamshöhle, in which poet Franz Grillparzer got entangled, has been resolved. Holz thinks not; it is still being investigated.

The four-hand piano version of the Grosse Fuge still needs to be resolved. Anton Halm, who did the arrangement, is still scared of Beethoven’s reaction and doesn’t dare to come and see him since he believes Beethoven is unsatisfied with his work. [He is not wrong.]

Beethoven writes a rude remark about someone unidentified, “Best Baron, we s— on your throne!”

Mozart’s Don Giovanni is to be performed at the Kärntnertor Theater [on June 13. The title role will be performed by Franz Anton] Forti, who is departing Vienna on June 20. He has a leave for July and August from the theater. Gaspare Spontini’s opera Ferdinand Cortez is also to be performed.

Holz asks whether Beethoven has heard from Schott’s in response to his letter offering the quartet op.131. Beethoven has not received anything yet. [Schott’s answers Beethoven’s letter of May 20 today, advising that the first part of the fee for the quartet was authorized by their letter of June 8 to the banker/wholesaler Franck & Co. Brandenburg 2161; the letter does not survive but its contents and date can be inferred from Beethoven’s original letter and his response made on July 12, Brandenburg 2168.]

Holz observes that Karl is almost finished with his studies, and then departs soon after.

At a coffeehouse, Beethoven makes copies of advertisements in today’s Intelligenzblatt for foreign wines at J.J. Ezelt & Son, and for a brine bath in Gmunden for rheumatic diseases. Karl Demuth is offering an improved and cheaper coffee machine.

Returning back to his apartment, he is joined by Nephew Karl in the evening for supper as they had planned earlier. Uncle Ludwig tells Karl about Holz’s method of keeping tobacco moist. Karl asks whether the tobacco has been smuggled.

Karl mentions that Marie Louise (1791-1847), daughter of the Emperor, was at the Polytechnic Institute today to see it.

Karl asks his uncle how the dinner with the Breunings was last night. Uncle Ludwig says it was good to see them; Stephan’s wife went to the country today. Karl observes that he loves her very much.

Frau Schlemmer, Karl’s landlady, knows about a housekeeper for Uncle Ludwig, and she has made an appointment for tomorrow. If Ludwig is satisfied with her cooking, she could stay here with him and work alone. Having a maid makes it harder to find a housekeeper; there were 2 here that interviewed, but they wanted to work alone.

Karl mentions that he often walks in the Schwarzenberg garden.

For supper they have spinach with brain, and pike. Uncle Ludwig makes a note that he gave Karl 2 florins 40 kreutzers. [It is unclear whether this was for the pens earlier today, or is in addition to those funds.] Although it is Friday night, Karl returns to his apartment since he has to interview housekeepers there in the morning.

Conversation Book 112, 3v-11v.

Publisher Adolph Martin Schlesinger writes Beethoven from Berlin today. He accepts Beethoven’s offer of the Gratulations-Menuett, WoO 3; and the Entr’acte [to the 1805 version of Leonore], WoO 2b. Brandenburg Letter 2162. The letter is not known to survive, but its existence and contents are known from Beethoven’s letter and Schlesinger’s registry notes written on it.