BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, February 1, 1823 (approximately)
Beethoven, still not feeling well, sends an undated note to unpaid assistant Anton Schindler (Brandenburg Letter 1546, Anderson Letter 1130) saying that he concludes he has no choice other than to sell two of his precious bank shares. Although the rate that they are being sold for is unreasonably low, he asks Schindler what he believes to be a fair price, and asks him to come to him today. The letter is held by the Berlin Staatsbibliothek, aut. 36,47.
One of Beethoven’s favorite copyists, Wenzel Rampl, visits Beethoven in the late morning or early afternoon. They discuss Libussa and Cordelia, two new operas by Conradin Kreutzer. Wenzel Schlemmer is copying the score for Libussa, but things are very bad with copyists right now as the old ones are weak [Schlemmer is going blind] and unable to do all the work, and the young ones don’t understand what they are doing. Engravers earn 8 florins per day, but copyists only earn 3. Meanwhile, landlords are raising the rents. Right now, might makes right.
Rampl tries to be encouraging about Beethoven’s health, reminding him that in a few months he will be back in the country again, where he will enjoy good health.
Later in the afternoon, Schindler stops by Beethoven’s apartment after rehearsal with the orchestra from 9 until 2:30, and warns him not to go out; the weather is poor, cold and foggy. Attorney Bach intends to return the favor and invite Beethoven to dinner at his home.
The values of Beethoven’s bank shares are swinging wildly due to speculation. Today they are back up to 864 florins each. Schindler assures him that if things go badly with Austria going into bankruptcy, Bach will be looking out for him. Beethoven says that he needs to cash in two bank shares, so they should be able to get more money, and he has several debts he needs to take care of.
Schindler reassures Beethoven that he will consult closely with Bach about how to handle the bank shares. It would be best if Beethoven could get some income property.
Conversation Book 22, 15v-20v.
Meanwhile, Anton Diabelli is pressing Beethoven for two promised works: the Variations on the Minuet by Diabelli, op.120, and a sonata for piano four hands. Sometime around now, Beethoven sends Diabelli an undated letter (Brandenburg Letter 1545, Albrecht Letter 302) saying that he has been too busy lately, but Diabelli should rest assured that he will get more consideration than anyone else. Diabelli will get the variations first, but Beethoven cannot predict the day and hour; the sonata will be done as fast as possible. [While Beethoven is indeed working on the Diabelli Variations at this time, he does not appear to have ever even begun working on the four-hands sonata.]
Madame Kraus-Wranitzky gives a special concert by invitation only today in Leipzig. The hall was so filled to overflowing that the concert was delayed by nearly an hour to find seats or booths for everyone. The concert opened with Beethoven’s overture to Leonore, followed by scenes and arias featuring Kraus-Wranitzky. [The overture is almost certainly Leonore Overture Nr. 3, which had just been published the previous year in Leipzig by Breitkopf & Härtel. The other two Leonore overtures remained unpublished (at least in orchestral versions) until years after Beethoven’s death.] Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung of June 18, 1823, Nr.25, at col.403.
The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, plays the Leonore Overture Nr. 3, conducted by Riccardo Chailly, here: