BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, August 12, 1826

Beethoven (or more likely, unpaid assistant Karl Holz acting on his behalf) delivers the score for the newest quartet, op.131 in C-sharp minor, to the business of Franck Co., who are acting as agents for B. Schott’s Sons publishers in Mainz. The funds in payment for the quartet, 80 ducats, will be made available to Beethoven on Monday, April 14. They ask that Beethoven provide them with a receipt for the funds.

There is some extended discussion between Holz and Beethoven about methods of playing harmonics on violin strings. Holz shows Beethoven both easy and more difficult methods of obtaining harmonics, though only certain notes can be played in that manner. Others might be possible, but it would involve the first and 4th fingers sliding around all the time. What the Italians call “sul ponticello” is easy to do; it depends on the bow, which must be used lightly and near the bridge. [That is literally, “on the bridge,” playing very close to or directly on the bridge, thereby eliminating the fundamental frequency and bringing out high harmonics since the string is unable to vibrate at its full length.]

Holz says he told cellist Joseph Linke that Beethoven wanted to discuss certain passages with him. “He answered that it would not be necessary, for Beethoven understands everything better than he does. He said, Beethoven just has to write it, and I will play it.”

They discuss the issues of making piano reductions of the quartets. In particular, Holz thinks that the Cavatina from the op.130 quartet will be the most difficult arrangement to make. Perhaps Carl Czerny would do it? Holz tells Beethoven that Czerny is in Baden at the moment; he won’t see Czerny until Wednesday [August 16.]

Holz asks whether Beethoven has looked through the corrections [probably for the latest round of proofs for op.130.] Holz was at Tobias Haslinger’s music shop. Haslinger has received the revised title page for Tremate, empi tremate, op.116. “Well, he said with a sigh, then I shall do this as well!” “The old one” [former owner Sigmund Anton Steiner] was also there.

Beethoven raises the possibility of arranging the Grosse Fuge [or possibly the entire op.130 quartet] for two pianos [rather than for piano duet]. Holz questions this idea. “But there will be less demand; who has two pianos.”

Beethoven suggests that they send some books to Nephew Karl in his convalescence as he recovers from surgery removing the bullet from his head in his suicide attempt last weekend. Holz agrees with some of Beethoven’s choices. “I was at a loss about what to send him.” He suggests that he would have preferred to send him the Urania by Christoph August Tiedge. [Urania was a popular 1801 poem, subtitled On God, Immortality, and Freedom, inspired by Immanuel Kant’s philosophy and hugely popular at the time.]

Uncle Ludwig thinks it best not to send him Romantic writers. Holz agrees, since he has a tendency to infatuation. Holz then makes some comments that suggest Karl’s suicide may be related to getting a woman pregnant, possibly the “theater princess” referenced a few days ago: “I thought, whether it wasn’t an abortion of the fetus? But with dire consequences. The girl can die from it.”

At first, when Karl disappeared last weekend, Holz remembered seeing written in a journal that in the beginning of June many students in Vienna went missing. They “had been recruited for secret associations by Greek agents. One does not know what to think. In 3 years, one can lose one’s senses, especially in the case of inherited seeds.” [The last comment is another dig at Karl’s mother, Johanna.]

Conversation Book 117, 29v-33v.