BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, April 2, 1826

Today is the beginning of the Jubilee celebrations, and Nephew Karl must march in the procession of students of the Polytechnic Institute this morning. Unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to see Beethoven before Nephew Karl arrives. Bassoonist August Mittag is with him to pay a call on Beethoven, to discuss the new form of the instrument and its capabilities. Beethoven offers them wine, which Mittag says is good. [Holz primarily writes on behalf of Mittag this morning.]

Mittag says that the low C-sharp has been commonly available on bassoons made over the last 2 years. Sometimes there is even a B as well, but not all instruments have that. Mittag says that he has seen compositions written in the last few years for the new bassoon, which could have been played perfectly well on the old one. At the higher end, they still need to have D E F in the tenor range.

Beethoven asks if there are certain key signatures that are problematic for the bassoon. Mittag says that E major and B major are difficult to play at rapid tempos. They aren’t very easy in an Adagio for that matter. But C-sharp is very easy.

Mittag says he wants to express the high veneration of his compatriots, the Saxons, for Beethoven. There has been no concert for winds the whole winter. The wind band at the court is very good, but they have nothing to do.

The discussion turns to Masses. In Mittag’s opinion, there will never be a greater one than that composed by Joseph Eybler. Antonio Salieri wrote a mass, which was to be performed but then it was set aside again because it was too poor.

Mittag suggests that Beethoven should come to Leipzig and give a concert there. He would not need to write a new symphony. “The enthusiasm for you there is without limits; there are 1,500 students, who only want to listen to your music. The same in Dresden. The orchestra [in Leipzig] consists of 90 persons; it is almost the best yet.” Beethoven’s symphonies are performed nowhere better, since they have 5 or 6 rehearsals. In Dresden, the capital of Saxony, they hold garden concerts. In Munich, on the other hand, the musicians all want to leave. The Bavarian king keeps making deductions from their salaries.

Mittag indulges in some musical gossip, which Holz is always ready for. Joseph Katter (1771-1841), conductor at the Kärtnertor theater does not in Mittag’s opinion even know the C chord. Jan August Vitásek (1770-1839) who had been named Court Vice-Kapellmeister on January 8th, turned down the employment decree. “He wrote to Kudschera [the Emperor’s adjutant general] saying that he was too old already to be able to endure the intrigues at court; also, his face is red, and the Viennese might take him for a drunkard.” Beethoven asks about Johann Gottlieb Naumann, a composer and musician he probably met in Dresden some years ago. Unfortunately, Mittag reports Naumann is dead. Not many composers are still living from Dresden that he knows; Francesco Morlacci (1784-1841) and Carl Maria von Weber, of course. Mittag also knew the painter Gerhard von Kügelgen (1772-1820) very well. [He had been killed in a robbery near Dresden in 1820.] The King of Saxony himself plays music for 1 hour every day; he is educated.

Mittag appears to take his leave at this point, and Holz begins writing for himself, though he also reports a couple comments that Mittag made to him that had not been covered in the conversation book. It was difficult to get the wine today; one cannot get through because of the crowds for the procession. The queues were like an endless sausage.

Beethoven asks whether copyist Wenzel Rampl was able to borrow the score of Fidelio from the Steiner shop to copy. No, Holz reports. “Haslinger said to me, Herr v. Beethoven already has borrowed so much from us ‘for a few days’ and we have not gotten any of it back; we cannot give him the opera.” Beethoven, irked, asks what else of his they might have. Holz says they have symphonies and other manuscripts of Beethoven’s. He suggests waiting to see whether Haslinger’s position softens any. Rampl really needs to get the copy; he thinks that one way or another he’ll surely get it this week. Holz says he will get everything on Wednesday, promising to return it on the same day.

Mittag mentioned that Breitkopf & Härtel have become rich off printing Beethoven’s D major symphony [Nr.2]. It appeared in all forms at the same time, and on the very first day the entire first printing of 2,000 copies of the version for piano four hands sold out.

When Haslinger asked Holz for the piano quartet for 100 ducats, on top of that he also wanted the original manuscript. Holz told him that would not be possible under any circumstances. They recognize now that the original manuscripts are a precious legacy for Karl. “But, he said, we already have many manuscripts, particularly the B-flat major Trio [the Archduke Trio, op.97.]” The reason Haslinger gave for wanting the manuscript was that he wanted it to be security that he will be recognized as the legitimate owner; as if Beethoven would sell it a second time.

Piano maker Conrad Graf has finished an instrument for Maria Amalia Augusta, the Queen of Saxony. It is a three-string instrument, but it sounds like a small organ. Graf would like Beethoven to visit him once on a weekday, to see the mechanism. It takes a good deal of effort to tune the four-stringed instruments, such as Graf has given Beethoven as a loaner while the Broadwood is in Graf’s shop for repairs. Graf will have to come back in 2 or 3 weeks to tune it again. That is the best for the instrument. Holz assures Beethoven that he will not have to pay anything; Graf is covering the expense.

Dr. Vivenot does not think much of crowding everyone together in the City into a procession. “There will be many illnesses because of such stupidity.” His son Rudolph is a medical student, and he was not required to take part, but all the law students had to join in. Brother Johann said that the City gates would be closed today. Holz doesn’t believe it, and Johann became indignant and said “Everything I have ever said was always true—” but today the gates are open.

Carl van Bocklet played the piano beautifully yesterday at Blahetka’s. “It was a large company: the applause was extraordinary. Everybody said that there could be no more beautiful composition for the piano [than the Archduke Trio, op.97.]”

Holz observes that the procession is now over; coaches are going into the City now. Musical and theater performances are still prohibited, though. Nephew Karl should be there soon.

Some of the sects in the church are causing trouble with the servants. “Without the prior knowledge of the Archbishop, church commandments for servants were posted by the Redemptionists in the church. Amongst them, it was written that servants should neglect their service, rather than their prayers! — Since then, many employers now ask their maids, when taking them on, whether they belong to the Redemptionists. If they do, they do not hire them. These regulations were announced a year ago.”

The secret police are cracking down; anyone who says anything praiseworthy about the prior Emperor, Joseph II, is contacted and scolded by the police.

Nephew Karl arrives at his Uncle’s apartment after the procession. He thought it was interesting to see once; it won’t happen again very soon. [Jubilees are typically 25 years apart.] Karl doesn’t need to take part in any more, though if he did, he would get an indulgence from the Pope.

Holz asks Beethoven how long he has had the Broadwood piano. He received it in 1818. Karl contradicts him. “You cannot have [had] it for more than 5 years, 6 at the most.” [Uncle Ludwig is correct.] Uncle Ludwig asks what adjustments Graf is making to the Broadwood. Holz believes he is making improvements to the sounding board, for it likes to resonate. [Birthe Kibsgaard suggests Holz may be making some wordplay between the words Resonnanz [sounding] and raisonnirt [resonate].]

Holz reports that Franz Mazas is giving a concert; “He has announced himself to be one of the best violin players in Europe.” [Since Holz is himself a violinist, he is probably more than a little annoyed at this pronouncement.] Nephew Karl changes the subject to the Blahetka concert: “Yesterday, Bocklet played the B-flat major Trio very beautifully. He thinks that he has fully comprehended the spirit of the composition.” Uncle Ludwig asks whether Bocklet is not himself a composer. Holz says he is, but he tears up everything he has composed; he is not happy with them.

Graf has 24 journeymen in his piano works. He intends to build a new house in the large courtyard. He has laid out a garden with a pavilion there; once everything is ready he will have them to dinner there. Beethoven asks where Graf lives. Holz says he lives in a house belonging to Steiner.

Talk returns to the Jubilee again. Karl mentions that the Indulgence extends to perjury; this also will be forgiven. Holz thinks this just encourages people to be more evil. “The state bought this Jubilee from the pope for 60,000 florins C.M. France paid 120,000 francs for theirs. If Emperor Joseph is not turning over in his grave, then it will never happen again.”

There is mention of Frau Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient (1804-1860); she had appeared as Leonore in the 1822/23 production of Fidelio in Vienna to great acclaim. Karl remembers that she splendidly played the scene in Fidelio where she steps forward with the pistol. She had a good teacher. [Her mother, Sophie Schröder (1781-1868). The mention of Schröder-Devrient may have been prompted by Holz’s recent attendance at an opera starring Nanette Schechner, who was also well known for her Leonore.]

Holz and Karl start to reminisce about the second Akademie in May of 1824, when the theater management slipped a piece by Rossini, Di tanti palpiti from Tancredi, into the program. Giovanni David sang it, and he was furious when he learned about the poor success of the concert.

The formal transfer of the Steiner music shop to Tobias Haslinger is about to take place in eight days, Holz reports; Steiner will retire. There has already been approval of the transfer by the Magistrate. The old Tobias has sold the whole company to the young one. [Holz’s information is not quite right; the court had approved the transfer on March 13, 1826, but Haslinger’s new rights were not granted until June 10, 1826 and not registered until July 10. But the business nevertheless continued to operate without interruption.] Holz thinks that the young Tobias [Haslinger] does more for the company than the old Tobias [Steiner] ever did. So now it is no more the “Two Tobiases,” [Beethoven sometimes addressed his letters to “The Two Tobiases in this time period.] or should the old one remain on the sign, Holz wonders.

Conrad Graf comes to Beethoven’s apartment while Holz and Karl are still there. He wants to examine Beethoven’s French piano [The gift from Sébastien Erard, the Parisian piano manufacturer.] Karl comments that Steiner calls everyone who comes to him “Meister.” “Meister Graf!” “Meister Holz!” “Meister Weiss!” Steiner promotes Matthäus Stein (1776-1842) [who has also done substantial work on Beethoven’s pianos.] Holz says that while Stein is diligent, his pianos are not so good for creating shadow and light.

Graf is departing; Nephew Karl says he’ll go with him. Since tomorrow is a holiday [Feast of the Annunciation], Karl will visit his Uncle again then, but he has something to do right now. After that, Karl suggests he may not be able to come again until April 10. [Graf, Karl and Holz all appear to leave together. Despite his statement, Karl does manage to visit Uncle Ludwig several times before April 10.]

Conversation Book 107, 34v-49v.