BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, September 11, 1824 (approximately)

Leaf 14 of Conversation Book 75 was torn out of the book after Schindler numbered the pages. It is unclear whether it was removed by him and for what reason. The next page, 15r, begins with Ludwig already engaged in an argument with Nephew Karl about his failed year at the University and the need to repeat it. They are probably still in Baden.

Uncle Ludwig wants the issues resolved now. Karl asks his uncle to be patient; he acknowledges that nothing he can say will change his uncle’s mind. “I hope that you will then be convinced that my resolutions are not just words, but that I can also carry them out.”

“I can really see that you are agitated; what’s more, I even find it to be natural–unfortunately! And even so, I still have hope that you will think differently in calmer moments and not entirely give up on me. Do not rob me of this hope, and do not entirely oppress me. I am oppressed enough anyhow. Give me your full confidence for just a short time, and I know that it will be different again.”

Uncle Ludwig once more blames Karl’s acquaintances for leading him astray. “I have no acquaintances.” Uncle Ludwig demands that Karl tell him everything. “If there were still something else to tell, I would tell you today, because it cannot be more awful than it is today.”

Ludwig thinks Karl has wasted the summer. “I didn’t use the time in the summer as badly as you believe. When it was decided that I should repeat the year, I immediately determined to take the extra courses and distinguish myself by doing so. This can happen, because a person can probably accomplish more than is demanded there. And so this is my resolution, and with more determination than ever.” Uncle Ludwig tells Karl he needs to spend more time studying and less time fooling around. Karl answers, “Besides when I was studying Greek and Latin with Enk, I was often in the library, and shall also still make use of everything here in order to excel.” [Translations by Theodore Albrecht.]

Karl changes the subject to Friedrich Schiller, a topic near and dear to both their hearts. There are six volumes of Schiller’s theatrical works available at Jacob Mayer & Co. for 1 florin C.M. The entire collected works will consist of 36 volumes.

Conversation Book 75, 15r-16v.

Today’s Literarisch-artistisch-musikalischer Anzeiger supplement to the September 15, 1824 Berliner Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Nr.37) includes on its third page an advertisement from music publisher Heinrich Probst in Leipzig for an arrangement of Beethoven’s Piano Trio Nr.1, op.1/1 and Clarinet Trio op.11 for piano four hands by Friedrich Schneider. Probst will also shortly publish Schneider’s piano four hands arrangements of Beethoven’s Piano Quartet op.16.