BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, July 30, 1825 (approximately)

On a surviving leaf from a now-mostly missing conversation book, Beethoven makes note of Nephew Karl’s tutor [Jakob Klabs or Klaps, who is mentioned elsewhere].

At a coffeehouse in Baden, Beethoven copies down the announcement from yesterday’s Wiener Zeitung that Danish composer and pianist Friedrich Daniel Kühlau (1786-1832) arrived in Vienna on July 27, 1825. [Kühlau will visit Beethoven in early September, and he will write a canon in Kühlau’s honor.]

Bonn Beethovenhaus BH 53, 19.

In the Cäcilia music magazine published by Schott’s (vol.3, Nr.11 at 30-31) they repeat their notice under today’s date that Herr Henning’s four hand piano reduction of the Consecration of the House is an illegal and incorrect edition. A similar notice had been published in a previous issue of Cäcilia under the date April 20, 1825. Czerny’s four-hand arrangement of the Overture has now been published by Schott’s, the notice confirms, which is the principal change from the April version.

Just below that, on page 31, Schott’s includes an undated announcement of the forthcoming publication of the quartet, op.127. “In addition to the aforementioned three great works by our immortal Beethoven, the undersigned publishing house is fortunate enough to announce to all music lovers a fourth great work from his muse, now published by his publishers. It is the much-admired, latest quartet by the eternally astonishing master of our time, praised in all newspapers as the highest pinnacle of instrumental music. Full of the highest enthusiasm, powerful and difficult passages, the most captivating melodic sweep, the most enchanting harmonic changes, it flows inexorably forward. Suddenly, the same urge seems to be checked in its course by insurmountable obstacles; it curves like a forest stream roaring in the depths of a mountain gorge, until a light side appears, and then with a swift bold turn, it resumes its previous course and carries all listeners away with it. It is the work about which one read in the public papers, that the most excellent quartet ensemble in Vienna, deterred by its difficulties, set it aside for a while, but later, after several rehearsals, publicly recognized and praised it as Beethoven’s best work.”

“It appears in the following forms from us:
a) in full score,
b) in realized parts,
c) in piano reduction for 4 hands,
d) in piano reduction for 2 hands,
and also in various other forms.”

“The whole will be published before the end of this year. We will make it our highest duty to publish this unsurpassable work in a correct and brilliant engraving. B. Schott’s Sons.” According to the title page of the piano four hands version when it is published next June, the arrangement is by Christian Rummel, but Kinsky-Halm indicates that Schott’s did not publish the piano solo version at all. Schott’s did in 1827 issue an oddball arrangement of the first 20 bars of the second movement Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile, for voice and piano, with a text by Franz Schmidt, “Es wand sein Geist sich von des Staubes Banden los, und stieg zum Licht empor.” [“His spirit broke free from the bonds of dust and ascended to the light.”]

Sir George Smart today departs London, and will come to Vienna in early September and pay a call on Beethoven.