BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, November 14, 1825

In the early morning, while working on the Grosse Fuge, Beethoven writes a short cover letter to unpaid assistant Karl Holz, forwarding the letter Karl drafted yesterday to the taxing authorities trying to determine whether Beethoven still owed back taxes. “Good fellow Holz! Don’t be—angry—Holz [with the double meaning of “Don’t be made of wood”], the dear government wants to speak to me at 10 o’clock today. I therefore ask you to go there in my place, but before then please come to me, you can arrange this entirely according to your convenience. I have already written a letter to his excellency, which you can take with you. I am sorry to have to be a burden to you again, but I cannot go myself and yet the matter must be brought to a conclusion. Yours, Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2090; Anderson Letter 1478. The letter shows no postmarks or other indications of mailing, so it was probably delivered personally by the housekeeper to Holz. The original is held by the Bonn Beethovenhaus, H.C. Bodmer Collection Br 153, and can be seen here:

https://www.beethoven.de/de/media/view/5647734010806272/scan/0

Beethoven writes out the autograph for the Waltz in D, WoO 85, and the Ecossaise in E-flat, WoO 86, for disabled actor Carl Friedrich Müller today. These little dances for piano will be included in Müller’s two volumes of such works by various composers, which he will sell to raise money for his medical treatment, beginning in late December. Last year’s edition was marketed as a suitable New Year’s gift and Müller will release these volumes near the end of 1825 as well.

The autograph of these dances is held by the Bonn Beethovenhaus, H.C. Bodmer Collection Mh 24, bound together with last year’s offering, the Waltz in E-flat WoO 84, and it can be seen here:

https://www.beethoven.de/de/media/view/6646603750309888/scan/4

Nephew Karl visits Uncle Ludwig between noon and 1 p.m. and asks whether he visited prospective housekeeper Theresia Adelmann again today. Ludwig did not. “In any case, she is coming Wednesday [November 16].” Uncle Ludwig asks what street she lives on. She is on the Höfergasse, just past the Adlergasse. [Uncle Ludwig’s question suggests that when he went to her to interview her, he was deep in thought and did not pay any attention to where they were.]

Karl reports on the Schuppanzigh Quartet concert yesterday afternoon. In particular, Uncle Ludwig is interested in how Wenzel Würfel played the piano part in the “Ghost” Trio, op.70/1. Karl says Würfel played the Adagio well, but the last movement badly. “He is supposed to have said that he will now give up playing. It doesn’t give him pleasure any more; he is occupied with more important work, since he wants to write four new operas.

Conversation Book 98, 31v-32r.