BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, April 30, 1826

According to the April 26 letter to Holz, Brandenburg 2150, Anderson Letter 1482, Beethoven expected Holz for mid-day dinner today.

The May, 1826 issue of The Harmonicon (Nr.XLI) includes at 100-101 a foreign musical report from Warsaw that includes a very early mention in England of young Frederic Chopin. The Conservatory there has held a number of concerts, and one devoted to the support of charitable institutions was given by music director Jawurek. “The prominent novelties of the evening were performances on two new instruments. The first was a chorus from Beethoven, accompanied by professor Jawurek on the Choralion, which produced a very striking effect. This instrument has been constructed by M. Brunner of this place, from a design by Professor Hoffmann of our University. Its principal feature consists of metal mouth-pieces, of the nature of the speaking-trumpet, that are affixed to the pipes, which bend exteriorly towards the spectators. The instrument is thus rendered capable of a surprising multiplicity of tones, according to the quantity of wind introduced by means of pedals; its power is increased from the softer tones of the clarinet or oboe, to those of the French horn, and progressively to a burst of trumpets and trombones. In this manner it is able to overpower a whole orchestra of more than sixty instruments in full action, with as many singers, and an organ into the bargain.”

“The next was the allegro movement of Moscheles’s concert in F minor [sic; Concerto Nr.1 in F major, op.45], given with extempore variations by M. Chopin on an instrument called the Aeolopantalon, which combines the united powers of the piano-forte and Aeolomelodikon, and affords a player, who has learnt the management of the variously-combined stops, the power of producing a surprising multiplicity of tone. The performer showed off this singular instrument to great advantage in his variations, which were of the most brilliant and diversified kind, and of a nature to bring into full play all the shades of tone of which his novel instrument is capable. This Concert was honoured by the presence of His Highness Prince Radziwil, himself a distinguished amateur as well as patron of professors, who expressed his approbation of the performances.”

Given the mention of Prince Radziwill, but no other royalty, the language of this report suggests by omission that this must have been a different and later concert from the one featuring Chopin playing the Choralion and Aeolomelodikon that was held in April of 1825. That concert had been attended by Tsar Alexander I of Russia, who reportedly gave Chopin a diamond ring as a reward. The Choralion, which was housed in Holy Trinity Church in Warsaw, was destroyed in World War II.