BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, April 20, 1823

In the afternoon, brother Johann and nephew Karl come to Beethoven’s apartment to visit. Karl is free from 11 AM to 7 PM today, but has to be back to Blöchlinger’s Institute by 7. Johann has heard that the emperor was given a list with a Mass to be performed this morning, and he rejected it. He wanted the kind of Mass by Reutter that had been sent to Beethoven, and wanted Beethoven to write a Mass for him. Johann has heard through his sources that if Ludwig were to write another ten masses, publisher Anton Diabelli would take all of them at the same price of 1000 florins.

Publisher Sigmund Steiner, to whom Ludwig owes a great deal of money, has gone to Leipzig, probably for the Eastertime Fair there. But Ludwig’s good friend and Steiner’s partner Tobias Haslinger is still in Vienna and sends his greetings in deepest respect. Johann understands that Ignaz Schuppanzigh is going to play an Overture of Ludwig’s at his upcoming concert, and asks whether it is the Consecration of the House [which Johann now owns, in satisfaction of money loaned to Ludwig last year]. But no, Schuppanzigh will be using the Coriolan Overture, op.62.

Johann volunteers to write to Ries about the pending publications of numerous works in England. Karl, tired of waiting for the meat and pastry, drinks too much wine and not enough water. He begins babbling about whether the meat is stewed and whether wild game is in season. Karl also makes some incoherent remarks about someone’s husband, a maid and a doctor. He says he is reading Prometheus, by Aeschylus. His copy of Sophocles is on order but has not yet arrived.

Karl suggests going for a carriage ride in the Prater; the weather was rainy yesterday, but it’s nicer today though overcast. Johann’s carriage can take four people. Ludwig writes to Karl, so Johann will not hear, “Don’t worry about us; leave us to our ways.” Karl notes that arguing with the maid gives Johann pleasure, and it doesn’t bother her.

Karl, apparently playing a bit, observes that Ludwig’s piano needs tuning. Frau von Blöchlinger is upset that Ludwig is no longer sending her tickets to concerts like he did last winter, but she says that with Johann here, he probably gets them now. Her husband didn’t complain, only she did. One of the students at Blöchlinger’s institute went to Liszt’s concert last week and said that he made many mistakes while playing. [So Karl apparently did not attend, though Schindler did.]

Karl says that Schindler goes from one extreme to the other; he gives excessive praise, or he complains excessively. He told Karl not to miss Liszt’s concert. He praised young Liszt “to the stars, to equate him, you and Mozart (in your youth), and ended with: He didn’t want to give me any sample of it beforehand, however; I would have been astonished at his genius.” Karl relates that Schindler is waiting for a good position, and then he will leave the Theater in the Josephstadt. Karl jokes that everyone wants him as a servant.

Conversation Book 30, 14r-19r.

Probably this same afternoon, Beethoven writes a joking letter to Schindler [addressed to Poor Signore Papageno] with a number of cryptic jocular references: “Scoundrel of Samothracia! Why, you were sent word yesterday that you were to betake yourself to the South Pole, while we were to go off to the North Pole, although indeed Captain Parry has already smoothed out the slight difference. But there were no potato pancakes there!” He then asks if Schindler can check with Attorney Bach as to what price rooms might be in Baden bei Wien. And also the expense of carting Karl out there every fortnight needs to be considered; perhaps Schindler, who has friends and admirers amongst the country coachmen, can arrange something. He also urges Schindler to pounce upon the copyist [Wenzel Rampl], who has had the Diabelli Variations for eight days already. [This was presumably the copy to be sent to Ries, to be sold in England.]

Brandenburg Letter 1633, Anderson Letter 1223. The original is held by the Berlin Staatsbibliothek (aut. 36,10).

The Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung for June 4, 1823 (Nr. 23) at col. 364 includes a notice of a concert today at 12:30 p.m. in the Provincial Hall featuring the eight-year-old guitar prodigy Leonard Schulz, who performed Mauro Giuliani’s Guitar Concerto Nr. 2. [The Vienna AMZ says Schulz was scheduled to play Giulani’s Concerto Nr. 3; Nr.31 at 243.] Also on the program was a performance of Beethoven’s song Adelaide, op.46, sung by Herr Titze, and accompanied by the featured artist’s ten-year-old brother Edward Schulz. Franz Liszt was only one of many child prodigies making the scene in 1822-1823 Vienna.

Adelaide is sung here by Peter Schreier, tenor, accompanied by Walter Olbertz on piano: