BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, August 21, 1826 (approximately)

Beethoven writes a short note to unpaid assistant Karl Holz, probably today. “Best one, so, come tomorrow a few hours before dinner; then you won’t miss so much — My salary is already due from the Archduke. I don’t know what stamps go on the sheets — the sooner the better — so that a small reserve fund remains — please come tomorrow, everything will be arranged. The doctor must also give his testimony, then the pastor. Do what you can — you don’t need to go to the pastor.”

“Vale et Fave [Farewell and best wishes], your friend Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2188; Anderson Letter 1425. The original of this letter is held by the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, (Mary Flagler Cary Music collection.) Since the letter was obviously written in Vienna, the year 1825 can be ruled out as Beethoven was in Baden when the annuity payment from Archduke Rudolph was due at the end of August. Nephew Karl handled these payments in both the fall of 1825 and spring of 1826, but since he is presently in the hospital, Holz is being deputized. This letter then refers to the August 1826 payment, for which a receipt survives with a stamp duty of 2 florins in C.M. currency. This transaction will be discussed in tomorrow’s conversation book entries.