BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, March 3, 1826
Today is Karl Holz’s 27th birthday.
Beethoven makes today’s errand list:
- Another button on the pants must be placed in the middle.
- Writing pens taken, and tried these provided with raven quills.
- A lamp high in the middle of the room.
- Wax candles for writing.
- Steine[r] on the Graben
a hanging lamp. - 3 violin cases.
- New lenses for the eyeglasses.
- Graf is to make the keyboard mechanism on the English pianoforte to conform with his own. [Conrad Graf is repairing Beethoven’s Broadwood piano right now, and has given him a loaner of his own manufacture.]
Beethoven writes a short letter this morning to Mathias Artaria. [Beethoven misdates it as April 3, 1826, but the conversation books make it clear that it is really sent March 3; Artaria also notes on the back that it is received today, March 3.] “Holz assures me that you intend to make the copper engraving depicting Handel’s monument in St. Peter’s Church in London, presented on a larger scale, and published. This gives me immense pleasure, without even thinking that I am the reason for it. I thank you in advance for this.”
“Your most humble servant, Beethoven.”
Brandenburg Letter 2130; Anderson Letter 1477. The original is held in the Austrian National Library in Vienna (7/2-18). Beethoven appears to have suggested making this larger format engraving shown in Charles Burney’s book, An Account of the Musical Performances in Westminster Abbey…in Commemoration of Handel. (London, 1783).
Beethoven also writes to Holz today. “The sister of the sister is coming to see you today. [That is, the sister of the current housekeeper, who is being employed as a kitchen maid. She starts working for Beethoven on March 17.] She gave me a certificate yesterday, non hai denaro [i.e., don’t have any money, probably meaning Beethoven had no cash to pay the earnest money. Holz was supposed to bring it, but seems to have forgotten.] So please give her the money, and at the same time tell her that she would have 100 florins annually, and 36 kreutzers bread money weekly. I forgot all that yesterday—”
“Bring the rest of the quartet in B-flat with you [the proof copies of the op.130 quartet.]”
[Beethoven notes that it is Holz’s birthday today:] “I dreamt last night how your parents brought you into the world, and how much sweat it cost them to bring such an amazing work into the light of day. I congratulate you on your existence—how, why?! etc. The riddles solve themselves.—”
“I look forward to seeing you at table today—with pleasure—”
“Take care until then, Yours truly, Beethoven.”
Brandenburg Letter 2131; Anderson Letter 1518. The letter is known from a photocopy; the whereabouts of the original are unknown. Although Artaria had promptly engraved the op.130 quartet, its publication was delayed when Beethoven decided to detach the Grosse Fuge and write a new Finale.
Holz visits Beethoven for dinner, but there is no trace of that conversation in this book. It must have been written on stray sheets now lost.
Brother Johann comes to visit along with Nephew Karl, likely in the early afternoon. Johann comments that the weather is very nice, but who knows how long it will last.
There are four or five honorary examinations every year; Johann has suggested that Karl should take one of these.
Karl translates a bit of some early music manuscripts collected in Italy by Christian Carl Tucher (1798-1877), the Latin text of the motet Pueri hebraeorum vestimenta, attributed to Palestrina. “They threw their clothes (perhaps vestimenta) down on the street and cried, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David.'”
Johann mentions that yesterday he was at the home of Dr. Vincent Guldener (1763-1827), who is on the medical faculty at the University of Vienna. He sends his many greetings. He lives above the Schotten Gate. Guldener’s brother lives at Johann’s house in Linz; he’s a retired captain. Johann then departs, but Karl stays.
Karl writes that Johann said that Steiner and Haslinger would be his best friends if he would give them some inexpensive works. Johann also says that they cannot do anything with Karl’s investments [which Ludwig has been wanting to turn into Rothschild lottery lots] until his majority, and anyway, the value of the lots is low right now. One can win up to 90,000 florins C.M.
Uncle Ludwig is annoyed that he still hasn’t received the 75 ducats from Prince Galitzin. [50 ducats for the latest quartet, and 25 more for the dedication of the Consecration of the House Overture, op.124.] In his letter of January 14 he said he was going to send the funds to M. Stieglitz, to be remitted in turn to Beethoven by the Fries banking house. Karl says the money might already be at Fries. Johann will go to check.
“If I get into a large [banking] house like Eskeles, I would be as well off as in an Imperial office.” Uncle Ludwig asks whether Karl thinks he can find a position there. Yes, Karl thinks so. “He definitely promised Schlesinger to take me.” Eskeles has quite a few people in his office trading papers.
Ludwig says they also need to get the arrangements made for the dedication of the Ninth Symphony through Prince Hatzfeld. Karl suggests that having poet Ignaz Castelli, who knows him, arrange things would be a good way to proceed.
Karl says he has to go now, because he still has a lot to do. He’ll take care of a package for Carl Czerny. “I’m coming tomorrow at midday; I’ll write the letter to Galitzin then.” [Karl does not return to his Uncle until the day after tomorrow.]
Conversation Book 105, 48v-52v.
Carl Maria von Weber, having left Paris and heading to London, suffers a seizure in Calais today. He nevertheless continues on to London, against his doctor’s advice, to finish and premiere his new opera, Oberon.