BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, September 4, 1826 (approximately)

Beethoven writes a short letter to unpaid assistant Karl Holz, sometime between September 2 and 5: “I hope and remember to see you at my table. Should you come here before then, and wish to make your way to Karl, it would be good to know when the chocolate must be paid for, as a new circumstance has arisen with him.”

“Yours most urgently Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2191; Anderson Letter 1436. Although the letter is not addressed, from context it surely was written to Holz while Nephew Karl was in the General Hospital after his suicide attempt. This note is held by the Bonn Beethovenhaus, and can be seen at:

https://www.beethoven.de/de/media/view/6472096913817600/scan/0

Holz visits Beethoven early this morning, before picking up publisher Adolph Martin Schlesinger from Berlin for a visit to Beethoven. Holz stopped by the hospital to check on Nephew Karl. The nurse confirmed to Holz that he was healing slowly. Does Karl know Holz made these inquiries, Beethoven asks. No, he asked her secretly.

Beethoven goes back to his fears about Mathias Artaria. He demands to know where the score to the piano duet version of the Grosse Fuge is. Holz, probably exasperated, tells him, “Your score was still in the same place where he put it yesterday.”

Dr. Samuel Spiker (1786-1858), the royal Prussian librarian is also in Vienna. [Spiker arrived on Saturday, September 2.] Old Schlesinger intends to make a gift to Beethoven of the deluxe edition of Oberon by Weber today. [He probably has it delivered to Beethoven, since there is no mention of it in tomorrow’s conversation between them.]

Holz has seen a copy of Schott’s publication of the Ninth Symphony. “It is very beautifully presented.” [One or more pages seem to be missing from the conversation book at this point.] Beethoven asks where he saw it. K. Czerny has it, from Haslinger; Ferdinand Piringer also has it. “The score is not expensive; 10 florins C.M.” [That was the subscription price; in shops it was 15 florins.] “There were not many subscribers before the work was out; but now the demand is all the stronger; people are signing up only now.” Beethoven asks why they waited; Holz suggests that one always wants to know beforehand how much it costs.

Holz warns Beethoven that Schlesinger has only the right eye. He is “by the way short and well-built, and on top of that, [has] all the Jewish grimaces.” The son [Maurice] looks very much like him.

What am I to talk about with him? Beethoven asks. Holz suggests that Beethoven could talk to Schlesinger about the publication of his complete works. Beethoven says that the arrangement that has been discussed with Maurice and others is 10,000 florins, and Beethoven would write one piece of each type as well as make changes to the existing pieces so the set could be sold as a revised version. Holz thinks Beethoven is asking too little for all that. “The oratorio [Saul] alone would bring you 10,000 florins.” How would this be sold, then? By subscription, Holz answers.

Schlesinger asked about the quartet in F, op.135. Holz told him Beethoven was writing it now. Beethoven wonders whether it will be acceptable since it is quite short. Holz retorts, “You won’t punish him if it is short; even if it only has 3 short movements, it is still a quartet by Beethoven, and the edition won’t cost the publisher too much.” To be honest, Beethoven easily could have made the B-flat major quartet [op.130] into 2 quartets. I couldn’t do that, Beethoven objects. “If someone thinks so highly of art, as you do, it cannot be otherwise; but it would have meant more money to you and to the publisher.” Along the same lines, Artaria has declared to Holz, “I won’t get the interest until 20 years later; but I have the capital from Beethoven in my hand.”

Adolph Schlesinger [Holz calls him “the Old Jew”] told him that Beethoven’s A minor quartet [op.132] has been performed in Berlin, “which is not at all difficult, but it made you want to run away. [If true, this may have been a private performance since no public performance of the quartet in Berlin has been verified.] There, they have no idea of how Beethoven is to be played. Especially the quartets, the symphonies are easier.” Beethoven appears to put off the meeting with Schlesinger to tomorrow.

While he is in Baden, Holz will look for apartments for Beethoven. The baths are not so crowded, since it is September. He knows one of the bath physicians there. Beethoven asks whether he can get the Coppersmith House there, where he had stayed several times a few years ago, but Holz isn’t familiar with it, and misunderstands that Beethoven is looking for something on Coppersmith Street [Kupferschmidgasse], which he doesn’t know.

Between his nephew and the requirements of business, Beethoven is feeling depressed and rather mopey. Holz, trying to cheer him up, tells him “Do not think that anyone expects those pitiful outward appearances from you. You belong to the world.”

Beethoven needs new shirts and handkerchiefs [probably for Karl], and the fabric for them. Holz suggests that he is free tomorrow, or he could have his sister buy it. But Beethoven is insistent that they go get the fabric right now, so they go. Holz shows him some percale, which could be used for handkerchiefs. They find some delicate fabric, but Holz thinks it is not sturdy enough. They find another fabric more suitable for shirts, and the seamstress says she will take care of making the shirts right away. Six shirts are ordered in all.

Beethoven mentions that it is Karl’s birthday, and he turned 20 in the hospital. Holz says he thought that Karl was 19.

Holz lets Beethoven know that Ferdinand Piringer wants to perform the Missa Solemnis for the Cäcilia celebrations on November 22. He would like the parts. “He would be very grateful to you, because he cannot expect to get anything from Schott.” [The Missa Solemnis has not yet been published, and Schott would understandably be resistant to sending out the engraver’s copy.]

Conversation Book 120, 8v-16v.