BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, February 28, 1825

In today’s Wiener Zeitung (Nr.47), Cappi & Co. at 212 advertises the newest-published songs by Franz Schubert, “Der Pilgrim,” and “Der Alpenjäger,” on poetry by Friedrich von Schiller, set for solo voice with piano accompaniment, op.37, for 2 florins W.W. These songs are now catalogued as D.794 and D.588, respectively. “Der Pilgrim” (1823) is the second version of the song by Schubert; his first attempt was abandoned and is only a fragment. “Der Alpenjäger” [The Alpine Hunter] is much older, dating from October 1817. This is again a second version, with the first also having been abandoned incomplete.

Der Pilgrim is here performed live in 1990 by Hermann Prey, with piano accompaniment by Helmut Deutsch:
https://youtu.be/9XALOiJpN6I?si=BHtx3WvOaFKF1Wvw

Prey also sings Der Alpenjäger here with accompaniment by Gerald Moore:
https://youtu.be/L9KN0Gtv2Uk?si=a8KFwywz4FKnzLe4

Bookseller J.B. Wallishauser also announces today on the same page the publication of Franz Grillparzer’s five-act tragedy, King Ottokar’s Fortune and End. This drama had been suppressed by the Austrian censor in 1824 and was finally premiered just a few days ago, on February 19, through the intervention of Empress Caroline.

The fifth volume of Prof. Theodore Albrecht’s thoroughly annotated edition of the conversation books in English, which by his kind permission are the backbone of this feature, is now available for preorder through Broydell and Brewer here:

https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781837651023/beethovens-conversation-books-volume-5

This volume covers the period October 1823 through March 1824. Until March 21, 2025, the coupon code BB048 at checkout, shared to readers of this feature by Prof. Albrecht, will get you a 40% discount on a purchase of the book (noninstitutional use only).