BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, September 16, 1826 (approximately)
Beethoven writes a letter to his publisher B. Schott’s Sons in Mainz; the letter bears the date August 16, 1826, but based on its contents it must date from September. “Very worthy ones! Yesterday I finally received copies of the [Ninth] Symphony, Quartet [op.127], et[c]., for which I thank you most respectfully. However, I remember in the quickest haste only one thing, namely in the 2nd movement molto vivace in the Vno primo [Beethoven quotes bars 394-395 of the second ending] here the words are omitted dopo il Maggiore presto si ricommincia dal segno [D.S. symbol] il minore 3/4 e continuendo si fa la seconda parte solamente una volta fin’ a questa fermata; poi si prende subito la coda. Also, after the last bar of the Maggiore [Beethoven quotes the 1st violin part of bar 530] even the D.S. is completely omitted. — You will have already received the quartet [op.131]; please see if, in the first movement of the same, at the entrance of the 2nd violin part [Beethoven quotes the 2nd violin part bars 4-7] the natural on the D is marked? At least, I didn’t see it in my score. If you have the opportunity to send me some more copies of the full score of the symphony later on, I would be pleased. — Most hastily and quickly,”
“Yours, Beethoven.”
Brandenburg Letter 2200. The original is held in Basel at the Paul-Sacher-Stiftung. J.J. Schott noted on the letter “Please include the errata in the symphony score in the next issue of Cäcilia.” In the engraved manuscript of the op.131 quartet in the Schott archives, the natural on the D in bar 6 is present, but the natural on the D in bar 7 is missing, and was added using red chalk, which corresponds to the autograph, Artaria 211. The early version Artaria 212 held by the Berlin Staatsbibliothek is correctly marked with the natural in both places.
Uncle Ludwig goes to visit Nephew Karl at the General Hospital about today. Karl needs something from an apothecary; Uncle Ludwig says he will have unpaid assistant Karl Holz take care of it. Karl tells him that he won’t be necessary [Holz is probably in Baden bei Wien with the Bogner family]; the maid could even be sent for it. Karl will write what’s needed on a note, and the apothecary can write down what it costs on the box. Even the cook could do it.
Uncle Ludwig asks about the food at the hospital. Karl says that it is too much for him; he gets enough with one dish and soup. As an example, he has beef steak with noodles. He can’t eat any more, but Uncle Ludwig urges him to eat more to regain his strength and Karl tells him he will try it once.
Uncle Ludwig makes note of some purchases to be made:
- paper for Karl
- wax candles
Uncle Ludwig mentions that Brother Johann has written that he will come to Vienna soon. Johann is inviting Ludwig to his estate in Gneixendorf yet again. [The letter does not survive.] Karl says that if Johann is willing to come, it must be because Ludwig wrote to him; Karl knows that his mother did not write him. Ludwig notes that Johann made no mention of Karl’s attempted suicide. Karl tells him, “he did not want to mention it at all, perhaps so as not to remind you of it; and tried to get you to come to him in order to divert you.”
All the conditions for Karl’s release are well known. Karl is certain there will be no objections, and it could happen any day. But he would like to stay here in the hospital in the meantime, benefiting from the calm and seclusion. “I do not intend to make use of this permission, if it is not necessary, because it is important for me that no one sees me, at least by your side, where anyone would know me. Besides, when I have recovered, I will still need a woman to take care of cleansing the head. I cannot — due to my dependent situation — insist on my wish to spend these 8-14 days with my mother (where the best care and seclusion would have been provided), but I hope that I will at least be granted this stay and the calm that is so necessary for my mental state.”
The charge for the hospital is 50 florins C.M., or its equivalent in paper money, 125 florins W.W.
Conversation Book 121 28r-29v.