BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, March 3, 1823

There are no surviving conversation book entries for today; the next entries are for March 4. Since there are no more references to having dinner with clarinetist Joseph Friedlowsky after yesterday, when Beethoven intended to invite him, historian Ted Albrecht suggests that a separate book, now lost, was used for that dinner on this day. Beethoven also gives Archduke Rudolph his three-hour composition lesson at the palace, then makes his way back home before 2:30.

A performance of Fidelio occurs this evening in Vienna at the Kärntnertor Theater. The performance is a triumph: the Overture, the Duet and the Quartet, all have to be repeated by popular demand.

Karl, whose foot is now healed well enough to walk, goes with Frau Blöchlinger to attend the performance of the topical comedy “1722, 1822, 1922” at the Josephstadt. Schindler is in the orchestra as concertmaster, and afterwards he pays Frau Blöchlinger the money to cover Karl’s rent through early next year.

In Leipzig today at the Gewandhaus, Beethoven is prominently featured in a concert. Opening the program is Symphony Nr. 4 by Ferdinand Ries, one of Beethoven’s composition students. This was followed by Beethoven’s Ah, perfido, op.65, sung by Mlle. Siebert. The second half of the concert included the complete incidental music to Goethe’s Egmont, op.84, with poetic declamation performed by Herr Stein. Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung of June 18, 1823, Nr.25, at col.404-405.

The Egmont Overture, op.84, is here performed by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Chailly: