BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, April 23, 1826

Unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to see Beethoven with news that Mylord [Ignaz Schuppanzigh] wants to play the March with Chorus, op.114, which is about to be published by Steiner, at his April 26 Augarten concert. He asked Haslinger for it, but “he said however that he did not dare give it to him without you knowing about it, for you are impossible to deal with. So you have to give Mylord a written permit to perform it, if you allow it, which he can show to Haslinger.” [Beethoven provides the permission slip as requested, and the work is performed at the concert on Wednesday.]

Haslinger is more afraid of Beethoven than ever, Holz reports. “I was there yesterday to buy something; he did not mention the matter at all. I already told him how it [the title page to the March with Chorus] is to be written. I have not seen the old one [Sigmund Anton Steiner.]”

The March and Chorus op.114, Schmückt die Altare, is here performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Bernhard Klee:

Nephew Karl joins the two men. Brother Johann sends his regards through Karl. “I saw him in the Karnthnerstrasse, then he went with me across the Graben to the Freyung.”

There is discussion of the meat that the housekeeper is making. Karl thinks it looks like beef. She had been recommended by Frau von Schneit; she knows her very well and has vouched for her honesty. But Uncle Ludwig suspects there are eggs missing. Karl asks whether he checked how many eggs there were from the 18 that she has accounted for. Holz thought she wanted to make a stock. “To me, she said that as you do not like her to buy butter and eggs from the Greissler [small-wares merchant], in case of need she bought several at once in order to have enough for several days.”

Holz thinks that the payment of the share of Beethoven’s annuity from the Kinsky Estate should be in Vienna soon. He will go to see their notary, Herr Walcha, tomorrow.

Beethoven is unsure of the date and whether the rent is due today. Holz reassures him that Georgi [April 24, the date spring tenancies begin in Vienna] is tomorrow. The rent can be paid any time in the next 14 days.

Christoph Kuffner was very happy about his conversation with Beethoven the day before yesterday, Holz reports. He and Holz went to a coffee house, then walked around the City for a while.

Karl mentions that a very good red wine can be had in the Esterhazy Cellars for 36 kreutzers.

Beethoven asks Holz what else Schuppanzigh intends to play at his concert on April 26. He will play a violin romance [actually the Adagio from the Violin Concerto, op.61, is played], and also a Bolero by Rodolphe Kreutzer, which he had played 30 years ago. And the March with chorus and full orchestra by L.v.Beethoven. [The emphasis on the full orchestra is probably because of Haslinger’s attempt to make the piano reduction of this piece falsely appear to be its original form.] Holz apparently makes this announcement in grand style, because Karl comments that Holz is very good at imitating Italian declamation.

Karl has to go now; he has several things to finish for classes tomorrow. But first he would like to collect his spending money from his uncle.

Conversation Book 109, 28v-31v. This concludes Conversation Book 109. The next volume picks up on around May 10, a substantial gap of two and one-half weeks, so probably at least two conversation books are missing from this time period. There is also substantial overlap between Conversation Books 110 and 111, suggesting they were simultaneously being used during the last part of May.