BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, January 18, 1824

Nephew Karl observes that Ferdinand Ries has written that he is ardently looking forward to Ludwig’s new symphony. He has a cousin, Franz Drewer, a musician living in Vienna. A letter to Drewer is enclosed, and Ries asks that it be delivered to him. Ries’s father and Drewer’s mother are siblings. Ries’s younger brother [Joseph Franz Ries, who recently attempted repairs on Beethoven’s Erard piano] gives lessons to 13 children per day. He only gives lessons where he can have a stick in his hand, because he will not tolerate any discourtesy from the boys.

Dinner today is roast, a side dish of vegetables, and brandy.

Karl relates an anecdote about Napoleon. After the four-day battle of Leipzig, at the Elbe Napoleon had all the wounded French soldiers thrown into the water to drown. If they had been brought back to France, people would have known of his loss. Uncle Ludwig compliments his nephew, who responds, “Because I am such an extraordinary man, that means I am as good as 10.”

A new housekeeper has been hired, so it’s time to pay the temporary housekeeper, and her wages from December 24 to January 18 come to 16 florins, 36 kreutzers. If the new housekeeper doesn’t work out, Karl thinks they should place the advertisement in the Wiener Zeitung again, but specifically state they are looking for “Professionisten-Wittwen” [widows of Professionists, an upper German term for craftsmen, according to the editors of the German conversation book.]

It’s time for a new candle, as this one has come to its end.

Conversation Book 53, 14r-16r.

The Schuppanzigh Quartet performs another in its series of subscription concerts this afternoon. On the program are the Haydn String Quartet in A (Tost Nr.4), op.55/1, Hob. III/65; Beethoven’s String Trio in C minor op.9/3; and Mozart’s String Quintet in D, K.593.

Wiener Zeitschrift Nr.15, February 3, 1824 at 128.

Beethoven’s String Trio op.9/3 is here performed live in 2021 by Ye Wu (Violin), Junichiro Murakami (Viola), Johannes Wohlmacher (Violoncello):