BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, July 24, 1826 (approximately)

About today, unpaid assistant Karl Holz checks in regarding Beethoven’s supply of fish with Wilhelm Klingenbrunner, who is acting as go-between with fishmonger Therese Jonas. Holz reports to Beethoven that he told Klingenbrunner that the fish were very expensive. “He asserted that now these trout normally cost 3 florins each, and that out of consideration for you they were only sold at the same price as the pikeperch would have cost. There are very few fish available now, not because of the times, but because of the downpours.” [Apparently it has been raining heavily in Vienna, though they must be short downpours, because they are only rarely reflected in the Wiener Zeitung weather reports.]

Klingenbrunner suggests that Beethoven might be content with the wonderful crabs that are available, if the fish that he wants are not available. Jonas doesn’t always know herself what fish she will have available from day to day. Beethoven thinks that rather disorganized of her. Holz jokes that her whole household is thrown into disarray anyway, whenever a letter arrives from Beethoven.

Holz notes that it looks like they will have another thunderstorm.

Beethoven mentions that the wallpaper hanger visited him. [He was supposed to come today or Wednesday.] Holz says that he thanked him for the honor of being allowed to work for a Beethoven. He promised that he would do the work as inexpensively as possible.

Beethoven is fairly pleased with the current housekeeper, Marie Stiegel. Holz notes that she is content there, and knows how to adapt herself to Beethoven’s needs.

The spraying of the city streets continues, in front of the house twice a day. The residents are being asked by the building superintendent to contribute; he’s requesting 5 florins monthly from as many residents as possible. [Beethoven does not pay this fee, but has the housekeeper do the spraying, which Marie Stiegel is reluctant to do for health reasons.]

Holz asks Beethoven when he wants to go to the spa at Ischl. It has been unbearably hot the last few days in Vienna; Holz says he is feeling better now, but when he was walking through the Schottentor Gate it was like walking through Hell. [According to the Wiener Zeitung, on July 24 at 3 p.m. it is 22.5 Reaumur, or roughly 83 degrees Fahrenheit. It will get even hotter during the first week of August.]

Beethoven asks about the status of copying of parts for the quartet, op.131. Holz says he has the music paper for it ready at home to begin work.

Conversation Book 114, 31r-32v. This concludes Conversation Book 114. About a third of the pages in Conversation Book 115 remain empty at this point, so that book will be used tomorrow when Nephew Karl comes to visit.