BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, August 14, 1825 (approximately)

Beethoven’s former composition pupil, Carl Czerny, comes to visit him in Baden either today or very early tomorrow. Czerny had been in Baden since July 4, taking the cure, but this is the first occasion where he is known to have visited his old instructor. They discuss technical aspects about modern pianos. Czerny thinks that the instruments where the hammer strikes from above are good; the uprights are very loud, but the normal ones do not strike forward in time. Conrad Graf’s pianos are almost better [than English pianos], even now. “Leschen did good work on your English piano.” He left it brighter and more manageable. “He himself has an English piano with 6 1/2 octaves, from which he models his own.” [Beethoven’s Broadwood likewise had a range of 6 1/2 octaves.]

Czerny says he plans to stay in Baden until the end of August. Beethoven complains about the weather. Czerny agrees, “We haven’t had any beautiful summers since 1811.” It’s quite dusty.

Nikolaus Zmeskall has long struggled with [something], but in vain. [Zmeskall had been suffering badly from gout for about six years at this point, but Czerny does not appear to be referring to that.] “He has now cured it with lukewarm water and vomiting, and he should feel better. He already tried all the spas, even those with the strongest waters, but all in vain.”

Beethoven suggests that Czerny should give concerts again. Right now, he cannot make room for that, but next winter he would like to begin again and really get into practicing. As Czerny departs, he leaves his address with Beethoven; he is staying next to the Frauenbad baths.

Conversation Book 92, 25r-26r [pages 26v and 26a-r are empty, crossed out with red pencil.]

Karl Holz, in Vienna, goes to the Mayseder Quartet concert this evening, where they are playing Beethoven’s Razoumovsky Quartet Nr.1, op.59/1. He will report on that concert to Beethoven tomorrow, which is a holiday (Feast of the Assumption). Holz may also today contact Wenzel Rampl about making copies of the corrected parts for the op.132 quartet, once Beethoven as proofread them.

Nephew Karl does not come to Baden today, as he usually does on Sundays, which upsets Uncle Ludwig.