BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, May 1, 1826

Probably today, or possibly tomorrow, a new maid starts working for Beethoven. She lasts 33 days, with her last day being June 3 or 4.

The fifth concert of the London Philharmonic Society is held this evening, with Sir George Smart, who visited Beethoven last September, conducting. The second act of the concert opens with Beethoven’s Sinfonia in C Minor, Nr.5. “The symphony in c minor of Beethoven has often called forth our warmest praise: it is certainly his chef d’oeuvre in this branch of musical composition.” The Harmonicon for June 1826 (Nr.XLII) at 128-129.

Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is here performed by the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, as part of the 2012 Proms at Royal Albert Hall: