BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, May 4, 1822.

Nikolaus Zmeskall (1759-1833) writes today to Beethoven. Zmeskall says, “With astonishment I discovered today that in my attic were items that belong to you, and about which I never knew anything, except for two plaster busts, which I thought had been taken back to you long ago by the same two serveants to whom you had entrusted them. I am now sending back to you everything that was found, and that I think belongs to you.” This must have made for quite a parcel. Albrecht, Letters to Beethoven nr. 284. Along with this random stuff from the attic, Zmeskall also returns a book by Aloys Weissenbach [probably his memoirs of the Congress of Vienna]. Weissenbach had written lyrics for Beethoven’s Der glorreiche Augenblick, op.135, a cantata in honor of the 1815 Congress. Zmeskall sends along some raven quills; he apparently had someone in his household who did a good job of cutting such quills into pens because Beethoven frequently requested them from him. Finally, Zmeskall says that there will be four bottles of Ofner wine coming shortly, freight prepaid, as a gift to the composer.

Zmeskall was a civil servant employed by the Hungarian Court Chancellery, and also played the cello. He met Beethoven in the 1790s and they became fast friends for the rest of Beethoven’s life. After 1806, nearly all of Beethoven’s chamber works had their first performances at Zmeskall’s home. The Duet with Two Obbligato Eyeglasses for viola and cello, WoO 32, was written for Beethoven and Zmeskall to play together.

The Duet WoO 32 is performed here by P.O. Lindberg and Leonardo Sesenna: