BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, September 17, 1824

Beethoven is still in Vienna today, and probably still apartment hunting. A leaf is missing between leaves 30 and 31 of Conversation Book 75. The page was removed before Anton Schindler numbered them. From the missing leaf, an advertisement for an apartment copied by Beethoven continues onto leaf 31. That is for two apartments on the third floor [fourth floor American], one of which consists of 7 rooms. He also makes note of Prince Lubomirski’s building, with an apartment of 16 rooms on the first floor [second floor American] being available. Beethoven wonders whether it might be possible to divide that large apartment into two suitable ones.

Nephew Karl also writes about an apartment that has two floors and a garden. [Editor Theodore Albrecht indicates that no current advertisements match the description Karl gives, so he may have seen a poster or flier of some sort, or he may know the building. This comment might refer to Prince Lubomirski’s building, or a different apartment.]

Conversation Book 75, 31r-31v.

Beethoven also writes to B. Schott’s Sons publishers in Mainz today, addressing it as if he were in Baden bei Wien, though the letter tellingly bears a Vienna postmark. He gives notice that he still hasn’t received their letter to him of August 19th, though he has no idea why. Their last letter received by him contains notification to the Fries banking house regarding the bill of exchange. He assures them that as soon as he leaves Baden for Vienna, at the latest at the end of this month, he will immediately get the copies of both the Missa Solemnis and Ninth Symphony assembled for them as quickly as possible. “You will also certainly receive the Quartet [op.127] by mid-October. I have weak health and you have to be patient with me. I am here [in Baden] because of my health, or rather because of my sickness, but things have already improved. Apollo and the Muses won’t let me be handed over to the Bone Man yet, because I still owe them so much, and have to accomplish that which the spirit has suggested to me before I leave for the Elysian Fields. Yet it seems as if I have barely written a few notes.”

Brandenburg Letter 1881, Anderson Letter 1308. The letter is in Beethoven’s own hand, with the address written by Nephew Karl. The letter is held by the Mainz City Library (Hs II 71, Nr.4)

True to his word, Beethoven’s friend piano maker Andreas Streicher today writes multiple letters to a number of singing societies, soliciting them to purchase sets of vocal parts of the Missa Solemnis with piano or organ accompaniment. These are in all likelihood essentially identical. “The grand Mass by Herr Ludwig van Beethoven, which was heard here publicly for the first time on May 7th, is according to the unanimous opinion of all connoisseurs, the most remarkable religious composition that has appeared since Handel’s Messiah, both because of the novelty of the arrangement, its harmonic and melodic originality, and – what is probably most important – because of the pious, God-devoted meaning that is expressed in every note. In keeping with the spirit that should prevail in church music, arias and duets, which draw attention to a select few singers, have been completely avoided. Instead, the vocal quartet has been chosen to alternate with the choir or work in harmony with them.”

“Since the public announcement of this work may take a very long time, the undersigned has asked Herr van Beethoven to distribute it, with only the singing parts and accompaniment for piano or organ, to the various singing societies, especially because some of them have already made such an inquiry. Herr van Beethoven was quite willing, and as the enclosure shows, it was with his permission that the undersigned offers the work to your religious vocal society under the following conditions:”

“1) The singing association undertakes to keep this work solely for its own use, and agrees not to share it with anyone, neither for printing nor for any other purpose;
“2) This Mass is communicated with a keyboard accompaniment, over which all the vocal parts are set in the score, and each one is specially copied, written and proofread by Herr van Beethoven himself, and confirmed by his own hand that the work was composed by him and has been written out without errors;
“3) Herr van Beethoven will be due to receive in return, through a bill of exchange or assignment upon a local house, the amount of fifty ducats in specie, which price includes the costs of copying;
“4) The answer, as well as the payment, should be sent to the address of Herr Ludwig van Beethoven in Vienna, and the work itself will be sent to the honorable association 14 days later.”

Several of Streicher’s letters still survive. The above quoted letter, Brandenburg Letter 1877, was sent to the Zurich Singing Institute, probably in care of Hans Georg Nägeli. This copy is held by the Zurich Central Library (Ms. Car. XV 193, Nr.37).

Brandenburg Letter 1878 was sent to Friedrich Wilhelm Riems (1779-1857) in Bremen, the director of the Bremen Singing Academy. Its whereabouts are unknown.

Brandenburg Letter 1879 was sent to the director of the Leipzig Vocal Academy. The whereabouts of this letter are likewise unknown, but its existence is referenced in another letter from Streicher to publisher C.F. Peters in Leipzig (Brandenburg 1880), forwarding the letter 1879 and asking that it be given to the director of the Academy, since Streicher does not know the names of any of the responsible gentlemen. “The letter contains the request whether the singing association, as some others have already done, would not also like to obtain Herr van Beethoven’s grand Mass. I am convinced that the music society, like the listeners, will thank me for having caused the author of this extraordinary work to be published.” The letter is held by the Saxony State Archive in Leipzig, C.F. Peters Leipzig Music Collection, Nr. 2156. Peters presumably complied and passed the letter on to the Leipzig Vocal Academy as requested, since it is no longer with the forwarding letter.

Streicher probably also wrote to two other such societies, since he had asked Beethoven for five copies of the letter of authorization, but their identities are not certain. However, despite Streicher’s efforts, the 50 ducat price was probably too steep for these music societies, mostly populated by amateurs, and there were no sales of the Mass through this method.