BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, May 10, 1824
Now that the excitement has somewhat calmed down over the Akademie concert (though the second concert is tentatively planned for Friday, May 14, if they can manage it), Beethoven turns his attention to other things. On page 11v of Conversation Book 67, he sketches out the bass line of Bagatelle op.126/5, apparently considering some revision or reworking of the piece. He has already offered the set of six bagatelles for sale.
Beethoven considers the letter of thanks to the participants in the first Akademie, writing a draft in the Conversation Book at 12v-12a-r. “I am obliged to thank most sincerely all those who showed me so much love and cooperation in my Akademie. Since I have been invited to give it one more time, I am convinced that I shall not commit an error– [Beethoven tries again at this sentence:] Since, as a result of the invitation I am giving a second this coming Friday in the Landständischer Saal–if I requested all of the participants once more to take part and to ennoble my work by their assistance…” [Translation by Theodore Albrecht.]
Brandenburg Letter 1831; Albrecht Letter 363.
Beethoven then makes his errand list for the morning:
20 fl to Tobias [Haslinger. This may have been payment for the charges to lithograph the choral parts for the concert, which Haslinger said on March 7 he would arrange at no interest.]
Speak to Bäuerle, Bernard, Beobachter, Sammler [about announcing the second Akademie concert, as they had done with the first.]
also Tobias—
Fiacre for the rehearsals.
who?
Letter to Duport. [This probably refers to the letter drafted last night to the High Steward, which would have been presented to Duport.]
+Umlauf
+Send to Schuppanzigh
Drive to Unger, etc. [Caroline Unger, the alto from the first Akademie.]
Haizinger Seipelt [Respectively, the tenor and bass from the first Akademie.]
+The rehearsals must be in agreement with Duport.
+Siboni’s script. [Giuseppe Siboni (1780-1839) was a court singing teacher in Copenhagen, who may have been used to help convince the King of Denmark to subscribe to the Missa Solemnis.]
from Religious Studies, theoretical Philosophy, Mathematics, History.
What is the person’s name? from Blöchlinger’s.
Nephew Karl interjects that “He himself has replied that the King is paying 50 ducats.” [This may refer to a now lost letter from Siboni about the Danish King’s subscription.]
Beethoven continues with his list:
Shoemaker – Underpants tailor.
Conversation Book 67, 12r-13r.
The sixth concert of the London Philharmonic Society is given this evening, conducted by Johann Baptist Cramer (1771-1858). Concluding the first act of the concert is an overture by Beethoven, still in manuscript (most likely the overture to Consecration of the House, op.124, which had been played at one of the Society’s concerts a year previously.) The coverage of this performance of the overture by The Harmonicon magazine in its June, 1824 issue (Nr.XVIII) at 122 is limited to a single dismissive sentence: “The MS. Overture of Beethoven is not one of his happiest efforts.”
J. Bermann once again advertises in today’s Wiener Zeitung, Nr. at , the availability of Beethoven’s Das Glück der Freundschaft, op.88, and the Sonata Pathètique, op.13. The Variations WoO 76 are once again not part of the advertisement, so they may have sold out of the current printing.
Artaria & Co. puts out its advertisement for Rossini’s opera Semiramide in arrangements for violin quartet, flute quartet, 2 violins or 2 flutes, and for piano 4 hands. The many forms that Rossini’s operas appear in pays tribute to the varied musical talents of the Viennese public. Attached is an arrangement of the Overture to Semiramide for piano four hands, played on early 1900s piano roll: