BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, October 5, 1821 (approximately)

Beethoven has been enjoying relatively good health for the last month that he has spent in Baden bei Wien. This recovery has enabled him to engage in the longest stretch of sustained constructive composition work that he has been able to do since last year. However, about now the weather at the baths suddenly turns significantly colder in the mornings, and according to a November 12, 1821 letter, Beethoven develops a severe case of diarrhea that will prompt him to cut short his stay and return to Vienna before many days pass.