BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, September 15, 1826 (approximately)

Conversation Book 121 begins being used probably today. This is a book of 46 leaves, with writing on every leaf. The book covers September 15 through September 27, or just under two weeks. There are sufficient indicators and internal references throughout the book that we can be fairly confident of the dating of various discussions. However, the book is bound incorrectly. Leaves 22 through 46 should be at the beginning of the book, followed by leaves 1 through 21. Schindler correctly dated this volume as being “from Autumn [1]826.”

Beethoven goes this morning, or possibly late yesterday afternoon, to visit Nephew Karl, who is still recovering in the General Hospital. Karl is pondering his coming military career, possibly with the musketeers or the grenadiers. “I know the whole system there very well, and I am convinced that I will easily endure the few [hardships]. Besides, in peacetime there are few strains apart from standing guard, which only happens once in 8 days.” The cadets get proper beds, and have their own rooms, Karl says.

Back at Beethoven’s apartment in the Schwarzspanierhaus, publisher Mathias Artaria visits him as promised about 11 a.m., having just come from Archduke Rudolph. “He longs very much to see you. I said you were in the mountains. He told me to ask you to please come and visit him immediately when you return. I said that you would be back here again in 8 or 10 days.”

On to business; Berlin publisher Adolph Martin Schlesinger told Artaria that he bought 3 new quartets from Beethoven 4 days ago, and had paid the fee for them in advance. Beethoven tells him that is not at all true. Schlesinger is mad at Artaria because he would not sell the quartet [in B-flat major, op.130] to his son Maurice. Artaria adds, “As I left the Archduke today, I met Prince [Eduard Maria] Lichnowsky at my shop. I was talking to him about important things when Schlesinger entered, and because I did not attend to him at once, he left outraged!”

Artaria shows Beethoven a proof of the title page that has been engraved by Kurka for the string quartet, and the special ink that will be used. The lithographer thinks that it will only work if the same kind of ink is also used for the ruling of the borders. First one has to grind the ink while it is dry, and then afterwards pour water over it, but not too much water.

Beethoven mentions that he has discussed his complete works being published by Schlesinger, with the prior publishers being compensated. Artaria grudgingly approves. “If the Oeuvres complets are published with the consent from all publishers who have paid a fee, then it is something different, but one must not impair the property of anyone!” The proprietors of the publishing houses need to be associates in this business.

But what about the little new quartet [op.135]? Is it finished? Not quite yet, Beethoven tells Artaria. Artaria inquires, who published the Rasoumovsky quartets? [Schreyvogel & Co, Bureau des arts et d’industrie, was the original publisher, though Steiner had also issued a new edition a few years ago as well.] Artaria also mentions a quartet dedicated to Prince Lichnowsky. [There are no Beethoven quartets dedicated to him; Artaria may be confused about the dedication of the op.74 quartet to Prince Lobkowitz.]

Artaria plans a prank on Schlesinger. He will ask for a privilege for the quartet in Prussia. Beethoven mentions that he never got paid by Schlesinger for the op.130 quartet. Artaria tells him that if he hadn’t bought that quartet himself, the money would still be held by Schlesinger’s bankers. Another work is mentioned; Artaria says it will have been re-engraved four times in Vienna alone: Haslinger, Domenico Artaria & Co., Anton Diabelli, and Maximilian Leidesdorf.

Artaria would have liked to have had the quartet Schott’s received [op.131]. “But you know how it is with merchants from time to time. At that time I had to pay very much for foreign merchandise, but the cash desk was rather lean!”

Artaria is still interested in publishing the lieder that Beethoven had mentioned. [These are the same 25- to 30-year-old songs that Beethoven had offered to C.F. Peters in 1822, other than the Arietta, Der Kuss, op.128, which had been sold in the meantime.] He asks whether Beethoven has had a chance to look through them. Beethoven has not. “When you have another quartet ready, then please think of me. If there is high tide in the cash desk, then everything will be paid out in gold; if there is ebb in there, my longest deadline will be 3 months.” Artaria gets quarterly payments from the court library, which allows him to make payments on a regular basis. His bills come to 10,000 florins C.M. annually. A copy of everything that has been published needs to be handed in to the court library.

Beethoven receives his copies of the Ninth Symphony and the quartet op.127 from Schott’s in Mainz today, and he gives them a quick review.

Conversation Book 121, 22r-27v.