BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, April 9, 1826
This morning, Beethoven dictates to Nephew Karl a letter to Tobias Haslinger, who is taking over operation of the Steiner Art and Music Shop. “I am reporting to you that both the Overture [King Stephan, op.117] and the Elegiac Song [op.118] require no further correction, and the titles are also correct. However, as for the March with Chorus [op.114] and the Vocal Trio [Tremate, empi tremate, op.116], although the previously erroneous notes have been corrected, the titles are once again not as I myself indicated to you. Since this has been going on for six weeks, and I have moreover had several instances where I could not overcome your stubbornness, I have therefore submitted both titles in their original form, to the esteemed Censorship Board, which is hereby submitted for your information.”
“Ludwig van Beethoven”
“I wanted to inform you of the above as a courtesy, so that you may act accordingly, for I will never permit these works to be published under the titles you have assigned to them”
Brandenburg Letter 2145; Anderson Letter 1480. The original letter is held in Copenhagen at the Royal Library (Ny kgl. Saml.4127, II, 4°). Haslinger’s notation on the address side reads “Beethoven – 1826/Vienna – 9 Apr./received – 12 [Apr.]/ answered.” Haslinger’s reply is not known to survive.
Conversation Book 108 begins being used today. This is a substantial book of 52 leaves. Page 18v is blank and was crossed out in red by Anton Schindler. Schindler correctly identifies the book as belonging to the spring of 1826. The book continues to be used until a few days after April 16. Conversation Book 109 begins being used on April 21, so there may be a book missing in between.
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz has delivered Beethoven’s violins to the violin maker Bernhard Stoss to be restrung; he gave Stoss the key and told him what has to be done.
Holz and Beethoven go out to a coffee house or inn. Because of the Emperor’s recovery, and his first day out and about after his illness [he had been expected to die, and was given the last rites], there will be banners everywhere. In London it would be different, but the mob is quite rowdy here in Vienna.
Holz complains about taxes in the City; profit and income tax, class tax, house tax…but he knows an apothecary in Pressburg who pays 10 florins W.W. in taxes for the whole year. Here he would have to pay 1,000 florins C.M. [2,500 florins W.W.] in total.
Holz quotes two stanzas of verse, which remain unidentified. Possibly they were written by Holz himself:
Then he steals in with a cunning remark,
And grins at me from his own work:
It’s me, Master, only me, whose dwelling you vault,
See, your little work is worthless, and you yourself are worthless.
And shuddering I see it, beguiled by horror,
How my own self rages against me,
Curse my work and myself into the grave—
Then will he follow me there too, painfully agonizing?
There is a great commotion in the street, with people declaring that the Emperor is riding by. Later Holz will remark that the news has changed; it was only the Empress, not the Emperor.
Holz comments that they let Franz Grillparzer painfully feel that he is a poet; they let him sit 10 years without any salary. “The iron is only put to the test in battle.”
Beethoven mentions Julius Schneller (1777-1832), whom he knew through his friend Ignaz von Gleichenstein. Schneller had been a professor of history and philosophy at the Graz Lyceum. Holz agrees that he is excellent. “He was dismissed because he defended Emperor Joseph so much.” [Joseph was fairly liberal, at least as Habsburg emperors go, and supportive of the arts.]
Holz has been in contact with Nephew Karl’s mother Johanna; she claims that she has not heard from Karl in a long time. He offered her money from Ludwig; she said she did not need that much money at the moment. Holz told her he supposed she knew how to keep money safe. If she doesn’t need it until Georgi [April 24, when tenancies begin] then it doesn’t matter who holds onto the money.
Conversation Book 108, 1r-4r.
A musical-declamatory concert is held today at 12:30 in the afternoon, at the hall of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde at the Sign of the Red Hedgehog. The concert opens with an unidentified Overture by Beethoven. A handbill for the concert is seen nearby. The concert soloist is Johann Rüttinger, the son of Christian Rüttinger, clarinetist at the Burgtheater.
