BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, October 4, 1824

Beethoven and Nephew Karl are still at the apartment in the Ungargasse in Vienna. Karl goes shopping with housekeeper Barbara Holzmann. They come back with three baskets of food, one large and two small. They have noodle soup, meat with potatoes, and a roast. While they are out, Karl also looks for the item that his uncle lost at the theater last night, without success.

They make the three-hour trip back to Baden. Karl is annoyed that the maid there is horribly lazy. “She hasn’t emptied the dish-washing water one time in three days.” She also hasn’t washed dishes at all since midday last Thursday [September 30.]

Uncle Ludwig makes a list of errands and shopping:
Frauenbad. [One of the places Dr. Staudenheim had recommended Beethoven bathe in Baden.]
For a gown 3 kr. C.M.
” shirt 2
” binding ribbon 1
” sleeping cap 1
” pants 1
” bath robe 2

Karl believes the Malaga wine must be good. It had been recently decanted into quarter-pint bottles, so not a drop would be lost.

One of the Baden merchants tells them he can get good meat easily, because he himself possesses two meat shops that are leased out. Holzmann bought chickens.

Holzmann [probably having spoken to the maid] says that Stumpff came yesterday and asked whether Beethoven needed anything in Vienna.

Conversation Book 76, 21r-22v.

Johann Andreas Stumpff recounts a visit to Beethoven this afternoon that is not reflected in the conversation books. “After his return, his nephew, who had accompanied his uncle, came to take me to him; on the way I discovered to Carl that the piano had now regained its voice and asked him to put the above-mentioned top piece on it without being noticed and then to surprise his uncle with what had happened.”

“So, as agreed, Carl led his uncle to where the piano stood and lifted the top piece away; there Beethoven saw with astonishment the new condition of his piano, exclaiming, ‘No enemy has done that!’ – and took my hand, which he embraced warmly with a look – as when the sun has chased away a black cloud and now shows itself again to the waiting creatures in full majesty – so the face appeared cheerful today – that had just escaped a dirty, usurious face with a loveless B.”

“Now he sat down under the umbrella in front of the piano and a fabric of sound with surprising transitions made the poor strings and the whole instrument tremble and a chaos of tones developed into the most heart-rending melodies; in short, who could describe in words what the imagination of such a mind is capable of! Thus this wish, to hear the greatest living artist in the divine art of music play the piano, was also fulfilled!”

TDR V, 128-129.

In today’s Wiener Zeitung (Nr.228) at 953, Anton Diabelli & Co. advertises Beethoven’s piano trios op.1/1, 2 and 3, arranged for piano four hands (not by Beethoven). The price per volume is 5 florins, 45 kreutzers W.W. each.