BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, March 5, 1826
Beethoven is at his apartment this morning when unpaid assistant Karl Holz and Nephew Karl come to call. Holz mentions that Ludwig’s String Trio in G major, op.9/1, will be played at the Schuppanzigh Quartet concert this afternoon.
The housekeeper, Frau Lindner, wants a kitchen scale. Beethoven grouses about why they need a scale. Holz patiently explains that you need a scale for weighing out various things to get the correct amounts of ingredients into a dish, and it’s quite necessary for cooking. Lindner says the taste of her cooking would be better in the proper proportions but she was afraid to take credit for the idea. She has bought three pounds of ox meat; half a pound has been cut up to make broth. Karl agrees that a scale is always necessary in a household.
Nephew Karl mentions that the famous French violinist Jacques Mazas (1782-1849) is in Vienna now. [He arrived there February 25; Ignaz Schuppanzigh will propose bringing him to meet Beethoven later this month.]
Beethoven’s publisher in Mainz, Schott’s, is apparently displeased by the rude jokes that he made in his last letter to them; Nephew Karl says they took the salutation about the Tobias Haslinger article very badly.
Holz talks about sight reading music. He says that violinist Joseph Böhm (1795-1876) plays poorly at sight. His brother [Franz Böhm (1788-1846)] is said to play better; he is first violinist to the Czar of Russia. Joseph is close to illiterate; he wrote a 3-line letter to Holz, which had 17 orthographic mistakes. [When Böhm visited Beethoven, his entries in the conversation books were very poorly written in terms of spelling, grammar and punctuation.] For instance, he spelled Apotheker [pharmacist] as Abudeger. It’s as if he’s blind as a bat.
Ludwig asks about the works to be played today at the Schuppanzigh Quartet concert. Nephew Karl repeats that today they are performing a Trio of his, and a Quintet by Ries. [The Quintet scheduled to be performed today is actually one in E-flat by George Onslow. But Karl Holz (who actually played the piece) and Brother Johann all refer to it as being by Ferdinand Ries. Was there a last minute substitution that is not reflected in the musical press? The record is unclear.]
The ox is doing its duty; Frau Lindner took it off the spit half an hour earlier.
Tobias Haslinger is proofreading the four works by Beethoven that he is publishing, but he needs more time to accomplish that; they are worried about publishing it with errors.
Ludwig asks about the status of the Kinsky pension, which he had asked Holz to arrange to be on the same schedule as Archduke Rudolph’s payments. Holz went to see the Kinskys’ notary, Johann Walcha, but he was not in the office yesterday. He’ll see Walcha tomorrow at mid-day.
Holz and Karl take their leave after dinner to go to the Sign of the Red Hedgehog, where the Schuppanizgh Quartet concert takes place at 4:30 p.m.
The program begins with the Prussian Quartet in C by Haydn [op.50/2, Hob.III/45], followed by Beethoven’s String Trio Nr.2 in G major, op.9/1. The concert concludes either with a String Quintet in E-flat by George Onslow, or an unidentified String Quintet by Ferdinand Ries. Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung May 3, 1826 (Nr.18) at 302.
The String Trio op.9/1 is here performed live in 1990 by Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, and Lynn Harrell:
Afterwards, Holz comes back to Beethoven’s apartment, without Nephew Karl.
Holz mentions that cellist Joseph Linke said today that Schuppanzigh’s portrait in Gerber’s Tonkünstler-Lexicon [Encyclopedia of Musicians] had the annotation, “probably only a caricature.” Karl says that Schuppanzigh fears playing extemporaneously, then jokingly corrects himself that what the obese Schuppanzigh most fears is a narrow footbridge.
Holz reimburses Frau Lindner for some powder that was to be made into medicine for Beethoven’s aches and pains. Holz then totals up following expenses that he has incurred for Beethoven:
Music paper 1 florin 15 kreutzers
Jäger book 2 florins
Postal coach 32 kr. or 1 fl. 20 kr.
To Karl 1 fl. 10 kr.
For Karl’s tutor 2 fl. 30 kr.
Medicine 20 kr.
Total 8 fl. 35 kr.
Holz says he will take it out of the money he gets from the magistrate [Karl’s semiannual interest payment of 27 fl.30 kr. C.M.]
Holz observes that this conversation book is almost full and they will need a new one soon.
Beethoven asks how the concert went. Beethoven’s Trio, op.9/1 was enthusiastically received. After that, the quintet by Ries no longer appealed. The Trio pleased so much that the Menuett had to be repeated. Holz writes in the conversation book the beginning of the Scherzo of this Trio. He thinks it’s better than the other two of the set. Abbé Stadler, who is becoming notorious for leaving concerts early, stayed for the entire program.
Holz asks whether Beethoven has already had Fidelio copied. He made arrangements yesterday with Wenzel Rampl to make a copy, and he said it would be finished in 8 to 10 days. [As it turns out, Rampl is unable to borrow Figini’s copy of the opera, delaying his work further.]
The reviews of Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas, op.109, 110 and 111 in the Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung had very good observations, Holz believes. He must go now; he just wanted to see whether Beethoven was feeling better. He will rehearse the op.130 quartet with Mylord [Schuppanzigh.]
Conversation Book 105, 57v-63v. That concludes Conversation Book 105. Conversation Book 106 begins being used, probably this evening or possibly tomorrow morning, when Brother Johann comes to visit. Conversation Book 106 has 34 leaves and covers a period of about ten days. Several entries discuss today’s concert of the Schuppanzigh Quartet, and the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde concert on March 12, allowing it to be fairly precisely dated. Professor Theodore Albrecht translated parts of this conversation book into English, but the balance has been translated by our collaborator Birthe Kibsgaard.
Brother Johann visits Ludwig. He was also at the quartet concert today. “The Trio was performed to great applause. The second movement was repeated. After that came the Quintet by Ries, which was received indifferently. Court Councillor Mosel sends you his great regard; likewise Abbé Stadler. The latter, as well as Court Councillor Mosel, greatly applauded your Trio. Next Sunday is a Piano Quartet that Mosel and Stadler did not know. [Beethoven’s Piano Quartet for strings, op.16]”
Johann comments that the weather is warm and pretty outside. Ludwig is in a foul mood, though, and Johann tells him, “You should look after your health and, in that respect, all of your anger is harmful.”
Johann observes that for the last week there has been no mention of what happened to the participants in the Decembrist revolt in Russia.
Like Holz, Johann says he is never going to see music dealer Sigmund Anton Steiner again.
Johann suggests once more that Ludwig come stay with him in Gneixendorf. “As long as you are there, the home-cooked meals won’t cost more and won’t cost less.”
Conversation Book 106, 1r-2v.
Carl Maria von Weber arrives in London today, planning to premiere his new opera, Oberon, on April 12.