BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, May 29, 1824

About now, Beethoven begins serious work on the Quartet op.127, which had been commissioned by Russian Prince Nikolai Galitzin over a year previously. He has been patient, but Ludwig knows he needs to get Galitzin’s three quartets finished, especially since the Schott publishing firm is very anxious to buy any new quartets from Beethoven’s pen. Work also continues on the Six Bagatelles, op.126.

While many of today’s entries are found in Conversation Book 70, some of them also appear on the first few pages of Conversation Book 71, and both of them appear to be used today and tomorrow. Conversation Book 71 is comprised of 29 leaves, with writing on every page.

In the afternoon, Nephew Karl is with Uncle Ludwig. They are expecting Brother Johann, whose offer to handle the new round of subscriptions of the engraved Missa Solemnis is a topic of discussion. Karl thinks he is astute enough that he would not make the offer if he were not convinced of the prospect for success, especially in light of the sensation that Ludwig’s newest works have made. He put everything down in writing with Leidesdorf, so there would be no uncertainty. Johann’s promise to pay 1,000 florins C.M. now, and 150 gold ducats in 5-6 months is no small amount. A publisher would not be in a position to make that same offer easily.

Ludwig and Karl go shopping with the maid. She wants to get 2 small fat pullets. The large ones are already old.

Back at the apartment, Ludwig makes a note about Graf pianos, and to drive there with Brother Johann, whom he calls “fratello.” Johann arrives about now, planning to take them on a carriage ride to Nussdorf, in the country.

Karl notes that according to Professor Dietmar in Berlin, there will be continuously good weather now. Brother Johann says it’s the most beautiful time of year at his estate in Gneixendorf.

Former unpaid assistant Anton Schindler told Johann that he could not get another apartment in all of the Josephstadt.

Johann has made arrangements for the rental of various pieces of furniture for Ludwig’s summer stay in Penzing, including two varnished bedsteads, six brown chairs, 3 tables, 1 chest of drawers, 1 day bed, a sofa, a small round table, 2 spittoons, a night toilet and night table (in one piece). The charge is 60 florins W.W. for the summer. 12 and one-half florins has already been paid so 47 florins 30 kreutzers is still due. Karl asks Uncle Ludwig whether that arrangement for the furniture is acceptable. Johann is having the maid arrange for the mattress.

The housekeeper says there isn’t any lard in the house. Johann thinks Ludwig should have ordered a portion of roast from the restaurant downstairs. Karl believes that they should still be able to do that. Johann tells his brother that while he’s in the country he should always eat his meals at a restaurant since it isn’t possible to cook well for one person. Karl chimes in that experiences shows that they eat well only if the servants are good enough.

Johann tells Ludwig that he’ll take care of Karl’s clothes from now on. Wine is the subject, and Johann jokingly says the whole City says Karl drinks terribly. If Ludwig gets an apartment with a cellar in the winter, Johann will supply him with white wine.

Publisher Maximilian Leidesdorf came by Johann’s place early today but could say nothing definite. He gave Frau Schlemmer the copy of the Bundeslied, and she will make a copy of it for Ludwig and he should have that by tomorrow.

Karl observes that the chickens have the same unpleasant taste as yesterday, only somewhat milder. He suspects the butter is on the verge of going bad.

It seems that copyist Peter Gläser is agitating for more money from the copying for the Akademie concerts. Johann believes Schindler has gotten him stirred up. Johann is annoyed that he was completely satisfied at first. Frau Schlemmer keeps 3-5 kreutzers per sheet, and asks only 15 kreutzers. So she pays her assistants no more than 10 kreutzers. She says that if her husband copyist Wenzel Schlemmer were still alive, he would have torn up all the copies produced for the Akademie.

As it turns out, Duport and Barbaja are keeping the lease for the Kärntnertor Theater past December, and will have it for the entire winter. The best thing would be for Ludwig to write them an opera. Johann suggests that Calisto Bassi (b.1800) could write the libretto. But it should be an opera semiseria, not an opera seria, so it can also be given as a German opera.

As they wait for Johann’s carriage to come, he suggests that Ludwig should write to the Duc de Chatre, the King of France’s High Chamberlain, expressing appreciation to the King for the gold medal he was awarded, so Karl can translate it into French right away. Karl adds that the salutation should be as Monseigneur or Votre Altesse.

It’s already late and too humid; Johann thinks they won’t get to Nussdorf until after 6 o’clock, so instead they can go to the Prater. Ludwig asks him whether he has seen Schindler lately. “He doesn’t show himself any more, thank God.” Ludwig questions whether Johann is being duped by Leidesdorf, and whether he will be able to sell enough subscriptions to the Mass to cover the expenses. Johann laughs that off, “If now there aren’t many subscribers, then you are the duped one.”

Cappi and Diabelli would pay 1,000 florins and give 6 copies. Johann calls Anton Diabelli “the biggest Jew of all.” Ludwig wonders whether Diabelli could print the Mass at a lower cost. Johann says no matter how much it costs, it’s all the same as far as Ludwig is concerned, so long as he is well paid for it.

On the way to the Prater, they run into Friedrich August Kanne, editor of the Vienna Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, who visited Ludwig yesterday. Ludwig asks where he can place orders for copies of his newspaper. They can be placed in the restaurant across from the Leopoldstadt Theater.

Karl backs up Johann, telling Uncle Ludwig that if he approves of Johann’s plan, he should sign the document so Johann can show it to Leidesdorf and they can get under way. The company has capital behind it. But thinking better of his own advice, Karl suggests that first Uncle Ludwig should write to Paris and St. Petersburg to get an idea of how many subscriptions could be brought together, and he shouldn’t commit to anything before that.

Johann is fine with that idea; it will cost Ludwig only two letters, one to Prince Galitzin in St. Petersburg, and one to Paris. Between them and Germany, that should be 100 subscribers. If the subscription plan for the Mass works out, then the Symphony can be sent to the King of France and a copy to Prince Galitzin, and then they can get a good subscription list for the Ninth as well. Ludwig asks whether there would really be demand. Johann answers astutely, “Who, then can write such a work today? Nobody but you.”

Conversation Book 70, 20r-26v; Conversation Book 71, 1r-3r.

Today’s Der Sammler (Nr.65) includes a brief review of Beethoven’s second Akademie concert at 260, again probably by Ignaz von Seyfried.

“Beethoven’s Second Concert”

“was had on May 23rd around noon in the Imperial Redoutensaal instead. The Overture from The Ruins of Athens [sic], the Kyrie from his latest Mass, and the grand Symphony were repeats from the first concert, and were received with the same stormy enthusiasm as in the first production.”

“What was new was a Terzett, which Hr. van Beethoven composed several years ago, presented today by the Italian virtuosos, Mad. Dardanelli, and the H.H. Donzelli and Botticelli. The grandiose style of this piece, made more striking by the appealing delicacy of the middle passage, made the deepest impression. Among the singers, Donzelli particularly stood out with the wonderful metallic character of his voice.”

“After the Kyrie, David sang an aria and chose the Cavatina, ‘Di tanti palpiti’ from Tancredi.”

“The willingness of the foreign virtuosos to enrich the concert of our grand master of music with their singing deserves full recognition. This second concert was also heavily attended. Hr. van Beethoven may take the loud admiration as a guarantee for the immortality towards which his genius leads him.”