BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, September 6, 1824

Nephew Karl is in his Uncle’s apartment in Vienna in the morning before his English class, which starts at noon. He quotes the title of the Rossini cavatina “Di tanti palpiti,” which had been inserted into Uncle Ludwig’s second Akademie concert in an effort by the theater manager to increase interest. Karl says he will come right away after his lesson and they can have mid-day dinner together.

Around 2 p.m., Ludwig and Karl go to have dinner at a restaurant, possibly the one downstairs from Beethoven’s apartment. But there are no seats, even though Karl looked around for some. Karl suggests that they need to get something good to eat for tomorrow, as well as this evening. Tomorrow will be their big day of apartment hunting for Beethoven for the fall.

Ludwig makes a shopping/errand list:

+Dirt shovel.
+Paper.
3: Joseph Obenaus, tutor at Archduke Franz’s. [Obenaus was a doctor of law and a councillor who served as tutor to Archduke Franz Karl.]

Later at a coach stand, Karl talks to the coachman. If he has to stay here in Vienna overnight for Beethoven, it will cost extra. Ludwig asks whether there is another coach they can hire back to Baden. The coachman doesn’t know of one, but he will let them know if he learns something.

Someone unidentified asks Beethoven whether he has read Napoleon’s Testament. [Napoleon died May 5, 1821. His will had been published in Supplement Nr.159 of the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung for August 27, at pp.637-639, and may have been picked up in one of the local Vienna papers as well.]

Conversation Book 74, 16v-18r. Leaf 17v (after the shopping list) has no writing, and is crossed out with a large red X.