BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, December 27, 1824
Nephew Karl this morning visits former housekeeper Barbara Holzmann at St. Marx’s home for the aged poor. He may have gone to see whether she could be granted another leave of absence to serve as housekeeper again. But he notes she is not well. [Prof. Albrecht notes that the walk there from Beethoven’s apartment and back would have taken about two hours, so it must have been a matter of some importance, rather than just a friendly visit.]
Karl lets his uncle know that the new maid is already there. Karl works out what the old maid is owed for her 18 days of services, which after much computing comes to 6 florins. There is yet another disturbance with the mentally unstable maid, who wants to run straight out the door and begins screaming. Karl says he would have hauled her to her room and locked her in, if she hadn’t been screaming like that.
Ludwig is a little confused as to why the Christmas concert performance of Consecration of the House did not include the title of the work. Karl agrees: “They already knew the title from the Akademie concert here [in May].”
One of the servants has the idea to fill two bottles with authentic Ofner wine from Hungary. There is an advertisement posted for it at 30 kr. per measure.
Later in the afternoon, Ludwig and Karl read today’s newspapers in a coffee house. Karl notes in the Intelligenzblatt that one of the calendars that they like, the Jurende’s Patriotic Pilgrim, is finally available to purchase at local book dealers. They want 6 florins W.W. for it. Karl still thinks it is the best of its type. This year’s version is enlarged with many articles. “I must laugh, because underneath the announcement of the Vaterländische Pilger, it says, ‘No book with this scope or with this content is less expensive.'”
Possibly while still in the coffee house, Beethoven jots down some ideas for last minute changes to be made to Opferlied, op.121b, which is ready to be sent to the printers. This includes possible changes to the settings of the words “Flamme,” “O Du,” and “Jüngling Opfer.” These notes are probably related to the sketches found in Pocket Sketchbook Grasnick 4 and desk sketchbook Autograph 11/2, which appear to be from about this same time period. See attached detail of page 19v of Conversation Book 79.

Ludwig and Karl are visited by Julius Lamatsch, a musician from Prague, who is in Vienna with his mother. Lamatsch says he will bring Beethoven some of his compositions, suggesting Beethoven had expressed an interest. Lamatsch was at the Christmas benefit concert and was quite delighted with the Consecration of the House Overture. Beethoven’s former pupil Carl Czerny has also given him instruction, gratis.
Lamatsch departs (as does his mother, if she came along). In the evening, Brother Johann arrives. Johann points out that there is a notice in the 4th volume of the Schott musical journal Cäcilia, announcing the forthcoming publication of Ludwig’s works recently sold to them, including the Missa Solemnis, the Consecration of the House Overture, and the Ninth Symphony. Ludwig does not think that he has that edition, although Haslinger told Johann he sent a copy to Ludwig.
Abbé Stadler also sends his greetings. It was Stadler who pointed out this announcement to Johann. He says they have been announced “with great panegyrics.” They also announce the forthcoming quartet [op.127, which is not yet completed.]
Johann ran into Joseph Bernard earlier. He said he came by the apartment but Ludwig was out. He has shortened the libretto for the proposed oratorio Der Sieg des Kreuzes, on advice from F.A. Kanne. He tried to give it to Vincenz Hauschka at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, which had commissioned it, but Hauschka was adamant that Bernard give it directly to Beethoven, and then the Musikverein can deal with Ludwig directly. Johann thinks that if it is written, the English will take it immediately, as will all the music societies in Europe. “The A[rchduke Rudolph] ought to slobber all over you.”
Joseph Weigl, the in-house composer at the Kärntnertor Theater, was supposed to have written one opera per year for the manager, Duport, but he has written none. Weigl would joyfully see Ludwig in Akademies, etc. “Seyfried is the best; he knows his master.” Stadler complained about Steiner’s payment [for compositions] and was happy when he read that all Ludwig’s new works would appear from Schott instead. Furthermore, Karl chimes in, since they have made the announcement, Ludwig can be sure of getting paid by them. Johann thinks that this will serve as tuition for Steiner and his ilk. With the oratorio they will find such things in it and ought to pay nicely for it.
Ludwig doesn’t remember getting the Cäcilia journal. Johann says that he’ll get a copy of it for him tomorrow, since there are copies in Vienna now. He’ll go directly to Steiner’s music shop tomorrow and ask for it. Stadler has already had it for a long time.
Karl hits the books. Johann observes that he is studying into the night. “At age 18 years, everyone finally has to begin to get smart.” The instructional courses begin in April. Johann suggests Karl might take classes in the Oriental Department, since the ambassadors for the Empire are educated there.
Johann would like the mattress he loaned to Ludwig back, if he doesn’t need it any more. He has been sleeping in Vienna for three days without a mattress. Ludwig says he can have it back, so Johann will send for it tomorrow.
Conversation Book 79, 8r, 20v-16r. [Some of the pages of this conversation book are bound out of order, and a chunk of today’s discussions are in reverse order.]
The Lithographic Institute gets into the act and also advertises the Musical Gift for the New Year, comprised of 40 new waltzes, including Beethoven’s WoO 84 in E-flat major. However, in their brief version of the ad appearing in today’s Wiener Zeitung Nr.296 at 1296, Beethoven is not mentioned.