BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, January 9, 1825
Beethoven is fretting about money and decides to ask for a short term loan from his friend, Tobias Haslinger at the Steiner music shop. Nephew Karl suggests that Ludwig write a few lines himself. Uncle Ludwig does not want to, and Karl says, “It’s from you, Good Fellow!” He adds in formal script, “Hah hah.” Karl mentions that he saw Steiner at a recent Akademie concert, and he looked very frail.
Ludwig prevails upon Karl to write the letter (probably taking dictation). A draft is found in Conversation Book 80, at 18v-18r. Karl then writes out the final letter, which is substantially the same as the draft:
“Dear Grand Chancellor! After careful consideration, we now turn over the financial department to you, and request that you send us the sum of 125 florins from the state treasury, which you can replace from our domains within a maximum of 14 days. As soon as you have improved the financial system with your penetrating understanding, you will take over the Grand Chancellorship again. Our Secretary Perpetuus will explain everything to you verbally in the clearest and most understandable way.”
Beethoven then adds an obscure in-joke not in the draft: “The sound directory is to be welcomed, but it cannot yet be expanded because we still have too little knowledge about the sound of comets.” He signs, “Dixi [Thus I said] Beethoven.”
Brandenburg Letter 1922; Anderson Letter 1264. The original is written in the hand of Nephew Karl, who is presumably the “Secretary Perpetuus” who will explain the situation; Karl also no doubt delivered the note personally. The original is held by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (A 84/29). Beethoven optimistically thought he could repay the funds quickly, in expectation of the money from Schott for the Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis. Sieghard Brandenburg suggests that the “sound director” in the closing paragraph may relate to Ferdinand Piringer, who is often referred to Beethoven as the “Direktor.” But the comment still makes little sense to the reader not in on the joke.
Karl asks whether, if it is not detrimental to the unsettled condition of their finances, he might go to the Burgtheater today to see Das Haus Barcellona, a beautiful tragedy. He believes it is by Heinrich von Collin [1771-1811, who was also the poet of Coriolan, for which Beethoven wrote the Overture, op.62. The play is actually by Rudolph vom Berge, with music by Ignaz von Seyfried.] “If the expenditure is unpleasant to you, let’s just leave it. Otherwise, there is a comment on the posters announcing that they would lower an iron curtain, in order to protect from fire. [The German editors note that the Burgtheater already had a reputation as a firetrap, and the posters put up on January 5 and 8 indeed stated that a protective iron curtain would be lowered at the end of the performances.” They do not discuss the play later, so Karl appears not to have gone. Instead, Karl goes to the concert of the Schuppanzigh Quartet at the Musikverein.]
Brother Johann arrives at the apartment. Perhaps in reference to the Schott publishers in Mainz, Johann remarks that they have a very fine musician in that city. [Johann does not identify this singular musician.] He asks whether a housekeeper has come, and Ludwig tells him that none has appeared. Johann thinks that was a great deal of nonsense again.
Karl returns while Johann is still there, and reports that one of the Rasoumovsky Quartets was played at the concert, “with unending applause.” The cellist, Joseph Linke (1783-1837), played superbly. [Beethoven had written the op.102 cello sonatas for Linke.] The violoncello had a great deal to do, and he was applauded a great deal. [Since op.59/3 had recently been played at the December 26 concert, this comment suggests that op.59/1 was the quartet performed, since it has a prominent and challenging cello part, as reported by cellist Moshe Amitay to Theodore Albrecht.]
Karl believes that Schuppanzigh is coming to visit Uncle Ludwig this evening at 8:30. [He does not come until tomorrow afternoon.] Uncle Ludwig is curious as to how the tickets for these concerts are sold, and Karl tells him they are sold by subscription.
Johann’s idea of holding three Akademie concerts is still being entertained. All the musicians can be handled by Schuppanzigh, Johann says. “He understands it the very best; he will take care of everything, all the dilettantes; and for that you’ll give him a third of the income.” The concerts should be held on three evenings [as opposed to the disastrous afternoon second Akademie in May, 1824] when there are no theater performances, and it costs nothing.” [Johann skips over the costs of lighting, staging, and stagehands, which would be incurred no matter where the concert would be held.] Ludwig likely is noncommittal.
Conversation Book 80, 18v-16r.