BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, April 11, 1824

Today is Palm Sunday. Schindler comes before 9 a.m., and is irritated to find Beethoven is still proofreading the Finale of the Ninth Symphony, which he had hoped to take to copyist Peter Gläser this morning to start working on the needed parts. [Copyist Paul Maschek had already done the solo voices and choral parts, as well as some of the instrumental parts.]

Looking at the fair copy of the Finale, Schindler remarks that unless a supplement of some kind is used, given the format it would be badly crowded together. [This comment reflects the difference between 16- and 23-stave paper. The final version of the Finale uses multiple sizes of paper in order to deal with this issue, which has led to portions of this copy of the finale being badly damaged.]

Beethoven is expecting someone from Gläser to pick up the fair copy and drop off copied parts. Schindler is going to a rehearsal, and in the meantime Gläser’s person is due. Beethoven suggests that he can come to the rehearsal after Gläser’s minion arrives. Schindler points out that the rehearsal does not last long, and Beethoven could arrive too late. If no one comes, Schindler will come back himself to deliver it, and Beethoven can just leave the fair copy out.

Beethoven asks whether Schindler has spoken to Theater an der Wien concertmaster Franz Clement or to the theater business manager Wilhelm Vogel, regarding Schuppanzigh acting as concertmaster for the Akademie. He has not. Beethoven reminds him that he has written to Vogel about this, but Schindler says he didn’t want to deliver it to him personally, because he didn’t want to hear his remarks about it.

[Beethoven today or tomorrow writes to Franz Clement, informing him of the plans for the Akademie, and specifying that he would like Schuppanzigh to act as concertmaster for it. The letter is not known to survive, but the contents can be determined from the discussions regarding it with Ignaz Schuppanzigh on April 13.]

Karl Friedrich Hensler, manager of the Theater in the Josephstadt, says that he doesn’t have the score and parts for Consecration of the House, and that it was given to Beethoven for the Moscheles concert in December, 1823, so he must still have it. Beethoven says he doesn’t. Schindler will ask Hensler again and look for it himself. Beethoven asks whether it isn’t a long way to walk back and forth. Schindler says he walks it in 20 minutes every time. [Editor Theodore Albrecht notes that Schindler is exaggerating; walking the distance would take an hour, and even jogging would take 30 minutes.]

Schindler reminds Beethoven to write to Dr. Franz Sartori, for permission to perform movements from the Missa Solemnis under the title of Hymns. Schindler will take it to him in person, since he knows Sartori.

Beethoven writes an undated letter to Sartori, probably today and possibly while Schindler is still there. Beethoven says he understands that it may cause difficulties to play church music as part of an evening Akademie concert at the Theater an der Wien. Time is too short and preparations have been made, so the pieces cannot be substituted, but Beethoven proposes that they be performed under the title “Hymns.” He asks Sartori, as Censor, to give his prompt approval. If he does not approve, then the whole Akademie may need to be cancelled, and all the outlay for copying will have been for nothing.

Brandenburg Letter 1810; Anderson Letter 1278. The original is in the Berlin Staatsbibliothek (aut. 35,31). Beethoven will have the Censor’s approval by April 17th to use the title “Hymns” on the playbills.

Beethoven has more tasks for Schindler, which he says he can do tomorrow morning. Schindler has time to put things right regarding the concert, so Beethoven should not worry about giving him too much to do. He must go, but someone from Gläser should be here in a half or 3/4 hour. “Now I bid you sincere thanks and a short Adio.”

After he leaves, Karl joins Uncle Ludwig at a restaurant for mid-day dinner. Looking at the preceding page, he asks who bade the “short Adio.” [He may be making a joke that Schindler never is brief.] Uncle Ludwig is talking far too loudly though, and Karl warns him that people don’t need to know their business.

After dinner, Beethoven makes a note of wines at 777 Wollzeile, the wine dealership of Heinrich and Franz Sturm.

Karl suggests that his uncle might be better off to sell the Ninth Symphony himself on subscription, like he did the Missa Solemnis. Ludwig is probably not eager to repeat the experience, since it ended up being a costly and frustrating effort for not that great a reward.

Karl notes that Ferdinand Piringer yesterday sent out written invitations to the selected dilettantes to play in the Akademie.

Later, at a coffee house, Karl notes that the place is quiet like a grave because of the holiday. Karl mentions Brother Johann came yesterday, while Ludwig was out, and told the maid he didn’t have time to wait.

Professor Anton Stein used to drink chocolate at their coffee house, but all of a sudden he stopped coming. “His daughter lives with him; he has beaten her into a hunchback. He complains horribly in lectures. He has no room to speak about pedantry.”

The fried chicken here is too expensive: 1 florin 20 kreutzers. That might be why so few people are here. “Good fellow! I think that we shouldn’t come here very often anymore.” He repeats later, “1 fl. 20 kr. is monstrous for a fried chicken. He makes a profit of at least 40 kr. from it.” The waiters have to pay for each bottle of wine that is opened, so getting a partial second bottle would not work. They finish the first bottle, and Karl says he’s had enough for quite a while. Getting a second bottle would give the proprietor too much profit.

Ludwig mentions his plan to announce in the newspapers the award of the gold medal to him by King Louis XVIII. Karl likes this idea. “The Court will be wide-eyed.” People will attend the Akademie just because of this; even Rossini fans, who would not have attended, will come because if the King of France bestows such an honor, there must be something to it.

Uncle Ludwig says he is thinking of a summer place in Hetzendorf, Breitensee or Penzing. Karl thinks it would be beneficial for his health since the air there is good. Ludwig asks whether that’s too far for Karl to come visit him. He doesn’t think so, as he can take the cheap public coach to Schönbrunn, and from there it’s only a 10 minute walk to Penzing. Hetzendorf would be a half hour walk. But that’s the preferred location, since there are spas nearby. Dr. Staudenheim agrees.

Karl has lectures Thursday, but will come after.

Uncle Ludwig is feeling sorry for himself, and wishes he were someone else. A sympathetic Karl tries to cheer him up. “Good fellow! You need not change places with anyone; remain what you are; that is the best thing.

On the way to inspect a theater (probably the Theater an der Wien.), they pick up some wine. Karl reminds his uncle they needs some small toothbrushes too.

Ludwig is not impressed by the number of seats. Karl says there will be some income. There are a great many boxes here, and it goes without saying that all of them will be occupied. Karl thinks there would be more income here than from the larger Redoutensaal.

After they leave the theater, Karl tells his uncle, “If only you heard the people! Wherever we go, they are saying, ‘Look, there is the great man,’ etc.”

Most likely Schindler took the fair copy of the Finale of the Ninth to the Theater in the Josephstadt, where Gläser and his crew do their copying. Gläser is there, and says Schindler mentioned that his presence would be necessary. He’s pleased to report that very much work will be coming in tomorrow morning, more than Beethoven could ever imagine. Looking through the fair copy, he estimates they will be finished extracting parts by a week from tomorrow. Beethoven asked what that date will be, and Gläser says it will be April 19th, but it’s difficult to estimate the day when such work will be finished.

Having had a chance to look through the proofread Finale, Gläser has some questions. Is the recitative unmeasured, or does it go in rhythm? Gläser suggests that all of the wind parts should have a text underlay of the singing voices. Beethoven asks what the purpose for that would be. Gläser says it is to help the winds make their entrances in the correct place.

Gläser also wants to know whether the designation D minor [he initially writes F major, and crosses it out] is to remain until the Turkish march begins. And the single flat continues on into the Turkish music, then? [Gläser may be pointing out that in writing the parts for the clarinets in B-flat in the March, Beethoven had inadvertently left an inappropriate flat sign for them.]

Beethoven doesn’t like the idea of the text underlays. Gläser says that if he doesn’t put them in as he suggested, should he leave nothing? [Unfortunately, none of the wind parts from the Akademie survive, so it’s unknown whether Gläser prevailed in helping the winds make correct entrances.]

Gläser has bad feet and always has to take a carriage. Tomorrow he’ll send the pieces through his maid, rather than coming personally, since they have had a chance to talk this evening.

Conversation Book 61, 14r-22v.

The Wiener Zeitschrift of September 2, 1824 (Nr.106) at 923-924, includes a reference of the performance of Beethoven’s Christ on the Mount of Olives in Milan today for Palm Sunday, along with the new oratorio La passione di Gesù Cristo, by Joseph Weigl (1766-1846).