BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, September 4, 1824

Likely this morning, Beethoven writes a short penciled note to his friend, Nannette Streicher, of the family of piano makers. She is also in Baden. He is interested in seeing her son Johann Andreas’s new patent instrument in Vienna. “Dear Friend, I am ready to see this instrument with you tomorrow. What time tomorrow? I will talk to you this afternoon when I see you. By the way, please be patient with me in my current situation. I can no longer act as I used to, even though my name is still Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 1869; Anderson Letter 808. The original is held by the Bonn Beethovenhaus, H.C. Bodmer collection Br 255, and it can be seen here:

https://www.beethoven.de/en/media/view/6206191562653696/scan/0

The comment about his “current situation” suggests that Beethoven’s deafness is worsening to the point of near totality, or that his health is otherwise problematic. If he meets with Nannette Streicher today, she does not write in the conversation book. The next entry involving her is tomorrow, when Beethoven looks at their new pianos.

Nephew Karl arrives in Baden from Vienna, and joins his uncle for midday dinner, probably at a restaurant in Baden. The haziness of the air is horrible. He had to buy some scented Vienna Water to improve the bad air. Everything stinks of tobacco.

Since the maid cannot cook, the Old Woman (housekeeper Barbara Holzmann) should stay in Vienna, since Uncle Ludwig intends to go into the City tomorrow. It makes no sense for her to go back and forth. Perhaps it would be best if Ludwig went into the City with her the day after tomorrow. Meanwhile, Karl will get his things together, and he can go with them on Tuesday morning, September 7 to look at apartments. It would be good for her to be there as well. Then they can all three drive back out to Baden in the evening of September 7th.

Beethoven may have missed Nannette Streicher when they were out to dinner. The last time she [probably Holzmann] was in the City, she said that Streicher had already been to Beethoven’s summer apartment several times but never been able to find him there. She said it in such a way that one could tell easily that she didn’t like it. [Streicher appears to have annoyed Holzmann; perhaps she did not approve of Holzmann’s housekeeping.]

They don’t have any sorrel for the evening supper, but they do have eggs. There is a pudding made. Karl mentions he had some venison rump roast at a restaurant yesterday, but it smelled very bad. Uncle Ludwig asks how to tell if meat is spoiled, and Karl tells him that it’s best to smell it. He asks whether there isn’t any game to be had here in Baden. Ludwig answers that there is, but it’s usually gone bad. Karl retorts that she [Holzmann or possibly the maid] says that everything is bad. When she is in the kitchen alone, she always talks to herself. Uncle Ludwig asks what she talks about. Karl notes that she says things “against the brother.” [Ludwig’s brother Johann, or the speaker’s own brother?]

Karl stays overnight, and he and Uncle Ludwig will head into Vienna early tomorrow morning.

Conversation Book 74, 10r-12v.