BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, July 17, 1825
Nephew Karl comes to visit Uncle Ludwig in Baden. Under discussion is homeopathy. Karl says, “The homeopathic system is becoming rampant. It consists of extremely small portions of medications and especially the strictest diet. The official with whom I live [Mathias Schlemmer, an officer in the Court Treasury] has suffered from weak hearing for the past 10 years. Some time ago, he turned to such an adherent of [Christian Friedrich] Hahnemann [the founder of homeopathy], who gives him powder in unbelievably small doses, and in addition prescribes a diet that is so strict that he may eat no dishes the way that they are usually cooked, but which must be prepared especially for him.”
Karl reminds his uncle that Dr. Anton Braunhofer tried a homeopathic remedy when Uncle Ludwig was sick in April and May. “During your illness, Braunhofer once prescribed a millionth part of a grain in some juice.”
Uncle Ludwig is curious about the special diet. Karl gives as an example the fact greens may not go into the soup, so it is much like water. The same principle applies with all the dishes. But that is the custom in medicine nowadays.
The biography of Haslinger published in Schott’s Cäcilia magazine comes up. Karl thinks it should be understood that it was a joke. But no matter what, it’s true that Uncle Ludwig was the author. Karl says Uncle Ludwig could still write many biographies, including one about Brother Johann.
They discuss the cooking, whether of Holzmann or another servant. There were some morello cherries that Karl thinks were not cooked enough. “She never takes the path of moderation; either she leaves it on the fire for too short a time, or she burns it.”
Uncle Ludwig indicates to Karl that the quartet op.132 is nearing completion. Karl asks which first violinist he will give the premiere to? [There is no indication what Uncle Ludwig’s thinking is at this stage, and he is probably uncertain himself.]
The carpenter Wangenheim comes up. Karl thinks he did a very stupid thing by quitting his employment at the Schloss Gutenbrunn. There, he received 7 florins, plus his room and board each week. Uncle Ludwig asks why he quit, then. Karl says, aware that Wangenheim thought he would become Beethoven’s personal carpenter, “He believed that you would pay him the same. Then, if he wanted to work more or less in a week, he would always get 7 fl. That is nothing.” He gets the apartment for two weeks.
Karl complains that he has had very severe headaches this week. Uncle Ludwig asks him the cause, and Karl says it was the heat.
Karl appears to look back in the conversation book and sees the writing from Karl Holz. Beethoven calls him a “splinter.” [Holz meaning wood in German; Beethoven will use this nickname for Holz, referencing a splinter of the True Cross many times.]
The name Veronica is mentioned; this may be one of Beethoven’s current servants.
Karl corrects his uncle once again: the vice-administrator of the Polytechnic Institute where Karl is studying (who is also Karl’s co-guardian) is Reisser, not Reissig, as Ludwig almost always calls him.
As always, Karl reports to his uncle his expenditures for the prior week:
Carriage to Baden, with tip: 2 florins 15 kreutzers.
Trip back into Vienna, with tip last Sunday: 1 florin 15 kreutzers, since Holzmann had already paid 1 florin in advance to reserve the seat.
Breakfast in Neudorf on the way: 20 kreutzers
1 florin spending money for Karl
35 kreutzers for the letter yesterday
1 bath 1 florin 30 kreutzers, making a total of 6 florins, 55 kreutzers, leaving a balance of 5 kreutzers.
Karl then returns to Vienna late in the afternoon.
Conversation Book 91, 6r-8r.