BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, January 30, 1825

Apparently neither Nephew Karl nor Brother Johann visits Ludwig, as there are no conversation book entries that can be dated today. The Wiener Zeitung of February 1 at 111 indicates that the weather in Vienna was foggy much of the day.

About now, Ferdinand Ries writes to Beethoven, his former teacher. He lets Beethoven know that he has returned to Bonn from England. Ries has been asked to conduct the Ninth Symphony and Christ on the Mount of Olives for the Lower Rhenish Music Festival in May. However, Schott advises him that the symphony will not be published by then. Ries therefore requests a manuscript copy of the symphony for use at the festival. Also, he would like to obtain the metronome markings for the oratorio. The letter is not known to exist, but its content and approximate date can be determined from Beethoven’s response, Brandenburg 1935, dated February 11, 1825.