BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, May 15, 1826

Today is the Whit Monday holiday, and Nephew Karl is visiting his uncle, despite complaining Saturday about all the work his professors have assigned over the holiday weekend.

Karl and his uncle are discussing wines, as Karl inquires about the cost of the red wine his uncle has. The one from The Black Camel “is surely more lubricated.” When they were getting their wine from Ignaz Spöttl’s shop on the Kohlmarkt, they must have been ingesting a lot of lead, he thinks.

The meat is not so good as that on the Wieden; the housekeeper herself says it is not very good; the kind of piece is in and of itself not a good one. “I think you should send the maid to get the meat; meanwhile the other one [the housekeeper] must do what has to be done at home.—The maid would try harder to get some good meat. She [the housekeeper] will presumably take whatever she finds first.” Karl so instructs the maid, but reports back, “She says she cannot find time for [being particular in] buying meat because she has her hands full; she admits that the other one cannot buy the meat because it would be her first time shopping.”

Perhaps because the meat is no good, Ludwig and Karl go out to a restaurant for mid-day dinner. Karl orders Frittaten and lamb. They order Fries wine, but Karl cautions that it needs to have the Fries seal on it. One can get Vöslau wine here; one only has to go to the cellar master of the Fries wine house.

Karl reports that the Emperor drove through the Alleegassee [where Karl has his rooms] again today. “That happens very often now. He visits the botanical garden.” The Viennese claim that the Emperor is a good man.

Karl says he needs to leave in order to finalize the calculations that are assigned for tomorrow. Karl will pick up the affidavit from the priest that he is still alive so his father’s pension for his maintenance can be collected. If Uncle Ludwig thinks that Karl should go to Mathias Artaria, he will do that, so they will know where they stand the day after tomorrow [Wednesday, May 17.]. But most likely he just wants to discuss the piano arrangement of the Grosse Fuge that was done by Anton Halm.

Uncle Ludwig asks Karl to inquire with Artaria as to whether he would pay immediately upon delivery for the new quartet, op.131. Karl says that if Artaria can’t pay immediately, he will say so himself. “Besides, Holz said that he would deliver the gold at once. The conversation will show that.” Uncle Ludwig asks if Karl can visit Artaria sooner. “I probably will not be able to go to him until tomorrow evening; then I’ll bring you the answer the day after tomorrow.” If there is any trouble with Artaria, then the day after tomorrow they can write to Schott’s and offer it to them.

Uncle Ludwig offers Karl something to eat, but he declines. “I am still completely full from the mid-day dinner.”

Karl notes that the Circus gymnasticus of Christoph de Bach is in Vienna.

Karl reports that Holz likes Wittmann’s restaurant in the Singerstrasse very much. Karl is interested in finding out if there is any truth to that. “He says that one eats like princes there.” Uncle Ludwig comments that it is odd someone who dresses as shabbily as Holz is so appreciative of good food. Karl answers, “He does not care about clothes, the more so about food and especially drink.”

Conversation Book 110, 18v-22r.

The sixth concert of the London Philharmonic Society is held this evening, with concertmaster Franz Cramer conducting. The concert opens with Beethoven’s second symphony in D, op.36, while the next to last piece is the Trio “My soul with rage” from Mount of Olives, sung by Miss Paton, Mr. Sapio and Mr. Phillips. “Beethoven’s symphony (No. 1 of Cianchettini’s scores) abounds in all the varieties of this composer’s rich fancy: the expression and energy of the opening adagio—the brilliancy and vigour of the following allegro—the exquisite beauty of the larghetto, which is quite vocal in its expression—the playfulness, and unexpected modulation of the scherzo, with the delicious harmony of the succeeding trio—and the spirit, almost intoxicating of the finale—these altogether leave one in a state of excitation which the repose of a full half hour would hardly subdue. In such cases it is to be wished that a short interval were granted for the gradual subsidence of the exalted and almost over-wrought spirits: if a few minutes only were allowed, the mind would be better prepared for what succeeds, than it usually is when hurried to attend to something which, though perhaps differing in character, demands nearly the same attention.” The Harmonicon of June 1826, Nr.XLII at 129-130.

The Harmonicon reviewer continued, “Of the vocal portion of this concert, the duet, ‘Amor possenti nome,’ from Rossini’s Armida,—the only good thing in the opera,—was extremely well sung; so was the fine trio from The Mount of Olives.”