BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, April 12, 1824
This is another very long day for Beethoven, as he deals with preparations for his Akademie benefit concert.
Beethoven writes a letter to Joseph Bernard, editor of the Wiener Zeitung, about the medal sent by the King of France. Schindler has the medal with him to show to Bernard, and Beethoven asks that Bernard do what he can to publicize it, since that will be advantageous for the upcoming Akademie. They still need to talk about Bernard’s oratorio libretto, Der Sieg des Kreuzes. Bernard seems to have misunderstood Beethoven’s intent, but Beethoven has been so busy he has not been able to take it up again.
Brandenburg Letter 1812; Anderson Letter 1271. The letter exists today only in a draft held by the Bonn Beethovenhaus, H.C. Bodmer Collection Br 46, which can be seen here:
https://www.beethoven.de/en/media/view/5547751232241664/scan/0
Schindler arrives this morning, having just come from Wilhelm Vogel, the business manager of the Theater an der Wien. Count Moritz Lichnowsky accompanied Schindler. Vogel sends his regards, but asks that Beethoven be mindful of the Theater’s empty treasury. Thus, the play has to go forward on Saturday, April 24 as planned, and cannot be bumped on the calendar for Beethoven’s Akademie. But after that’s finished, Beethoven can have his choice of days. Since four days should be enough to rehearse the choruses, the Akademie could be on the 27th or 28th.
Vogel would prefer that Beethoven leave the Censor’s office to him. But in connection with that, he would like a list of the musical works for the announcement poster. Beethoven asks about the necessary police approvals. Police Director Dominik Rother handles the Theater an der Wien. Beethoven thinks he should give the list for approval directly. Schindler says that’s fine, it doesn’t hurt if it comes from him. Schindler will deliver it yet today. Beethoven asks whether the approvals are different than they were for the Redoutensaal, and Schindler tells him the same laws apply.
Beethoven also sends Schindler to offer his thanks to Monsieur Schwebel, the Secretary to the French Ambassador in Vienna. Beethoven gives Schindler the letter for Joseph Bernard and the precious gold medal, and instructs him to take it to the Wiener Zeitung offices to garner some publicity for the Akademie concert.
Nephew Karl reports that he has taken one measure of white Marienberger wine at 2 florins, and 1/2 measure of red wine for 1 florin. It was in a sealed bottle, he says, probably anticipating Uncle Ludwig’s worry about adulteration.
Schindler returns from Schwebel, who sends his regards, and his pleasure at Beethoven’s satisfaction with the gift of a gold medal. He would ask that Beethoven write to the Duke de la Châtre, the First Chamberlain to the King. But he should not yet mention the dedication of the Ninth Symphony. That should be done later.
Schindler filled in alto Caroline Unger, who lives next to the Embassy. Unger is very enthused, and will be coming this afternoon with bass Joseph Preisinger to assure Beethoven of her sincere cooperation. She will also be asking for advice, because she is having difficulties with her part in the Mass.
Schindler also visited the offices of the Wiener Zeitung and showed editor Joseph Bernard the medal, and delivered the letter, as instructed. An announcement should come out in the Zeitung in three or four days.
Beethoven is concerned that the King would not want the dedication. Schindler tries to clarify, the letter should just talk about the medal, and the dedication should not be mentioned for another three or four months.
Back to Bernard: Franz Stockhausen (1792-1868) sent a Mass with the accompaniment of 6 harps to the Archduchess Clementine in Vienna. They wanted to perform it for charitable purposes, but the police forbade it. They gave it to Bernard to write a German text. Schindler read it and thinks it very pretty. He will send Beethoven a copy.
But the Censor is really being unreasonable, Schindler thinks. Ignaz von Seyfried performed a Mass in public at the Theater an der Wien two years ago and no one said anything about it.
Schindler again tries to convince Beethoven not to go to Breitensee for the summer. He would be isolated there, just like he was in Hetzendorf last year. Beethoven protests that he likes isolation, but Schindler tells him he still needs diversion, and places like Breitensee offer nothing of the kind.
Schindler and Beethoven go to a coffee house, with instructions that if Unger and Preisinger come while they are out, the maid should come fetch them.
Schindler observes that Bernard’s wife Magdalena is a solid little woman. She also gets a very small household budget to work with. However, being married seems to have inspired Bernard, because the Mass is quite powerful yet flowing. Schindler thinks the Refosco wine from Trieste served here is too expensive.
Beethoven reads the newspapers and copies down an advertisement for arrangements of military music with the most beloved themes from the newest operas and ballets, by Joseph Dobihal, Kapellmeister of the Imperial 2nd Artillery Regiment. [The editors note that Dobihal (1779-1864) had played clarinet in Beethoven’s benefit concerts of 1813-1814, and played 1st clarinet at the Kärntnertor, so Beethoven probably knew him.]
The maid summons Beethoven and Schindler back to the apartment, for the singers have arrived. On their return, Unger says there are several mistakes in the aria for the Missa Solemnis. She would like to look at the score with Beethoven and Preisinger a little bit. She suggests that they try singing a little bit of it. Unger would also like to see the medal.
Beethoven makes a comment about his compositions not inspiring the Viennese. Unger says, “Who would not be inspired by your compositions?” Preisinger plays a theme on Beethoven’s piano, and Unger begs Beethoven to improvise on it. She says Preisinger knows all of Beethoven’s symphonies by heart. [Beethoven does not appear to comply; considering how bad his hearing is lately, he may not have heard the theme at all.]
Today Unger will go to see Haydn’s The Seasons, which is playing at the Lenten benefit for the Musicians’ Society. She asks Beethoven to sit in her box; “It would give me sincere joy.” She’s in No.2, Parterre, Loge left. Michael Umlauf will be conducting, and Henriette Sontag, Joseph Barth and Joseph Seipelt will be the soloists. Preisinger was supposed to sing, but Duport was being spiteful and would not allow him to sing, so Preisinger feigned illness. Beethoven wonders whether Unger will be put in the same position by Duport for his Akademie? She answers, “I swear to be true to your banner forever. No-one among my friends can force me to be untrue to my oath.” She blames Duport’s attitude on the fact he was a ballet dancer.
Schindler remains after Unger and Preisinger depart. Schindler suggests that Beethoven should write an invitation, similar to that for the instrumental players, for members of the chorus to be used by Leopold Sonnleithner in assembling that group. The boys will need their choral parts this week, according to Ludwig Schwarzböck, director of the Singing School for Boys, associated with the Theater an der Wien. He will set to work with them right away.
Beethoven asks where he should send the subscription copy of the Missa Solemnis for Prince Radziwill. Schindler tells him it should go to Justice Councilor Ludewig Krause in Berlin, since he has been acting as intermediary. [Krause had recently sent Beethoven the 50 ducat payment for the Mass, see letter Brandenburg 1847. Beethoven in all likelihood received that payment today.]
Beethoven asks whether the choral parts for the Ninth should be separated by voice, or whether it would be better to just do a vocal score. According to Tobias Haslinger, vocal scores are too expensive. But if it were to be published by subscription, as Karl had suggested earlier today, that expense could be built into the subscription price. The parts being used for the concert are not suitable for a subscription. Rather, the whole score should be lithographed.
Conversation Book 61, 23r-30r.
In Paris today, the first in their series of Concerts spirituel for Holy Week is held. In addition to a symphony by Haydn in D and a Double Concerto for Two Violins by Conradin Kreutzer, a piano concerto by Ferdinand Ries is performed by the 12-year-old Franz Liszt. “The glory of this young virtuoso multiply with each and every day.” The first half of the concert is concluded by the Benedictus from Beethoven’s Mass in C, op.86. “This piece doesn’t really appeal to our amateurs.” Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung Nr.34 (August 19, 1824) at 549.