BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, November 15, 1824

A grand musical Akademie for the benefit of public charity institutions is held at the Kärntnertor Theater this evening, Leopold Day, to a crowded house, despite increased prices. Opening the very lengthy concert bill of fourteen pieces, which featured the entire Italian opera company, is Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio, op.72. The Hunter’s Chorus from Weber’s Euryanthe has to be repeated da capo by popular demand. Julius Benedikt, who had met Beethoven last year, played a Rondeau of his own composition. He turned out to be a fairly good pianist, though neither brilliant nor magnificent. Caroline Unger, who sang the alto part in Beethoven’s Akademie concerts in May of this year, is a member of the quartet singing Preghiera from Rossini’s Mosè in Egitto that closes the concert, as is Madame Dardonelli, who sang the terzet Tremate, empi, tremate in the second Beethoven Akademie of May, 1824. Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung Nr.52, December 23, 1824, at 855; Wiener Zeitschrift Nr.142, November 25, 1824, at 1223-1224; Wiener Theater-Zeitung (Nr.140) November 20, 1824 at 559, Harmonicon Nr.XXIX, May, 1825 at 83.

Beethoven’s Mass in C, op.86, is performed today at the Augustinian parish church by a group of dilettantes under the direction of Ferdinand Piringer, who had briefly filled in as Beethoven’s unpaid assistant earlier this year. December 15, 1824 issue of the Vienna Allegemeine musikalische Zeitung (Nr.100 at 399).